Man who posted fake headline on CHC case apologises again
A man who posted a doctored newspaper headline about the City Harvest case has apologised for a second time and also admitted to scandalising the court.
Neo Aik Chau posted the apology on Facebook on Thursday (8 February) and undertook not to repeat his actions in the future, after the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) demanded he do so.
Earlier this month, Neo posted the doctored headline that suggested that People’s Action Party Member of Parliament Edwin Tong was responsible for the outcome of the case. On 1 February, the Court of Appeals rejected the prosecution’s bid to have the six former CHC leaders’ original sentences reinstated. Tong acted as a lawyer for CHC founder Kong Hee during the case.
During a Parliamentary session on Monday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam called out the fake headline and said that AGC took a serious view of the matter.
In response to media queries, AGC told Yahoo News Singapore that it had written to Neo on Monday, noting that the post had made “false and baseless allegations”. In doing so, Neo had “impugned the impartiality and integrity of the Court of Appeal and posed a risk that public confidence in the administration of justice would be undermined”.
The agency added, “The AGC required Mr Neo to publish an apology and undertake not to re-post the Facebook post or any part thereof in any form or medium or to put up any posts, or do any other act, that would amount to contempt of court.”
Neo made his first apology on the matter on the same day, writing in Chinese on Facebook, “I was wrong! I am sorry! It was unintentional!”.
Related stories:
Man apologises for faking news headline on City Harvest case
People who ‘challenge integrity of judges’ will be prosecuted: Shanmugam
