[ad_1]
SINGAPORE – A Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) officer will be charged in court on Wednesday (Oct 31) in relation to the death of full-time national serviceman Corporal First Class (CFC) Dave Lee.
Captain Tan Baoshu will be charged with rash act causing death,while six other SAF servicemen who were involved in the incident have been referred to the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) for investigations, said a police statement on Wednesday.
If convicted, Capt Tan could be jailed for up to five years, or fined, or both.
Details of Capt Tan’s designation and his involvement in the case were not revealed.
CFC Lee, 19, from the 1st Battalion Singapore Guards, suffered a heatstroke after completing a fast march in Bedok Camp on April 18.
He died on April 30, two weeks after he was admitted to Changi General Hospital.
A Committee of Inquiry (COI) was convened by the Armed Forces Council on May 2 to investigate the circumstances leading to the incident, while the police also conducted independent investigations.
In August, Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen told Parliament that relevant persons involved in the incident have been removed from command and could face criminal charge or military prosecution.
However, no evidence of foul play or medical negligence was found, he said then.
The Ministry of Defence (Mindef) issued a statement too on Wednesday (Oct 31), saying it will defer its internal proceedings against the six servicemen until after the conclusion of the criminal proceedings against Capt Tan Baoshu, so as to prevent any prejudice arising from parallel proceedings.
Two of the six referred to Mindef are regular servicemen, while four are national servicemen, it said.
Mindef said: “SAF personnel who conduct unauthorised activities, or who wilfully or negligently fail to comply with training safety regulations, will be severely dealt with and prosecuted under military law… or under criminal law before the civil courts.”
[ad_2]
Source link
