Han Hui Hui made 'fabricated' and 'false' statements: MHA

Controversial blogger Han Hui Hui published “fabricated, false and misleading accounts” of events that occurred while she was in the State Courts lock-up, said the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

Alluding to Han’s blog post entitled “Alone in a cell” published on 23 February, an MHA spokesman said that the 24-year-old had made “baseless and false” allegations. Among others, Han had claimed that she was subjected to a strip search, that male officers had passed by during the search and that she was denied toiletries after relieving herself.

Han was fined $3,100 in June last year for her part in disrupting a charity event for special needs children in 2014 by organising a rowdy protest without approval. Han’s allegations relate to her time in lock-up while the case was going on.

“The Singapore Prisons Service (SPS) has interviewed the relevant officers and reviewed the CCTV footage and documents in relation to Ms Han’s custody in the lock-up,” said the spokesman, who issued a point-by-point refutation of Han’s claims.

Han was not subjected to a strip search, said the spokesman – instead, she was searched by a female officer and remained clothed during the search. The search also took place in the women’s wing of the lock-up, which is not accessible to male officers. A privacy screen is also deployed when a search is in progress.

Furthermore, Han’s allegation that detainees were not given toiletries after relieving themselves is “also untrue,” said the spokesman. Upon request, toilet paper is made available to detainees.

“Ms Han could have raised the issues at any time while she was in custody and the SPS would have looked into it. However, she chose not to do so.

The Ministry of Home Affairs takes all allegations seriously and will investigate them thoroughly. However, we will also vigorously defend our officers from baseless attacks to ensure that the integrity of our law enforcement agencies is not undermined.”