[TinyRedLeaf]

Swiss national charged with vandalism in Singapore

Singapore (June 6): A Swiss national who works in Singapore was charged in court yesterday with trespass and vandalism of a mass rapid transit (MRT) train at the Changi depot.

Oliver Fricker, 32, a business consultant, was charged with cutting the fence of the depot and damaging public property. He was also charged with vandalism by spraying paint on two carriages of an MRT train, and trespass for entering the Changi depot without permission some time between the late night of May 16 and the early hours of May 17.

Also named on the charge sheet was British citizen Lloyd Dane Alexander. It is not known if he is still in Singapore, and the police are still investigating.

The duo is believed to have cut through the fence of the depot. Once inside, they spray-painted graffiti on one side of a train. The graffiti had the words "McKoy Banos", believed to be the signature of two people who have also vandalised trains in other countries.

Anyone convicted of vandalism in Singapore faces a maximum punishment of up to three years' jail or a fine of up to S$2,000 (US$1,411), and between three and eight strokes of caning.

Those who trespass into a protected place face a maximum fine of S$1,000 as well as a two-year jail term.

Fricker's case will be mentioned again on June 21. In the meantime, he has been released on a S$100,000 bail. His passport remains impounded to prevent him from leaving the country.

THE STRAITS TIMES, CHANNEL NEWS ASIA

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