SINGAPORE — Having been remanded in Changi Prison for four days because no one posted his bail, Amos Yee was released from custody today (April 21) after a youth and family counsellor he has never met stepped forward as his bailor.

Mr Vincent Law, 51, who is a former director of non-profit organisation HealthServe, shed little light on what prompted him to pledge the S$20,000 bail for the 16-year-old, when asked by reporters outside court.

He would only say, in reference to one of the three criminal charges Amos faces, that “the charge said he made disparaging remarks against Christianity. I am a Christian, so I am stepping up to say I am not offended”.

Charges were pressed against Amos on March 31 for comments he made in a video clip three days prior, which prosecutors allege were intended to wound Christians’ “religious feelings”. Another charge related to his allegedly “insulting” comments about Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s death that were deemed likely to cause distress to Singaporean viewers, constituting an offence under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Last Friday, the court had initially restricted Amos’ bailors to only his parents, but reversed its decision following a request by prosecutors. No reason was given for the request.

But Amos’ parents did not post bail that day, resulting in the teenager being held in custody until today. The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has made clear a bailor does not have to furnish the cash and only has to pledge that he is good for the money.

Amos’ parents, who were in court for the hearing today, declined comment on why they did not post bail last week.

Having been unrepresented in his previous two court dates, Amos only found out three lawyers would be acting for him pro bono when he was in the dock today.

Mr Alfred Dodwell and Mr Chong Jia Hao from Dodwell & Co, and Mr Ervin Tan from Michael Hwang Chambers only got in touch with Amos’ parents on Sunday and had not spoken to Amos prior to today’s hearing.

Asking for the case to be adjourned, they indicated that they will file submissions seeking to “whittle down” Amos’ bail conditions, arguing that they seem “quite wide in its ambit”.

During the brief 15-minute hearing, Amos, who was clad in a purple prison jumpsuit and cuffed at the wrists and ankles, appeared calm as the proceedings went on.

Among those in the public gallery were retired lawyer Teo Soh Lung and Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics. Mr Wham told reporters he was there “to show support”.

Outside court, Mr Dodwell told the media they decided to act for Amos “because he is 16 years old, and we believe every one needs legal representation”. He also stressed that they did not condone Amos’ conduct that landed him in court.

Amos’ bail conditions require him not to upload or distribute any content online before his case is concluded, but he violated it by asking for public donations for his legal case via social media last Tuesday — these have since been taken down.

Nevertheless, Mr Dodwell said: “(Accessing) the Internet is like breathing air for people right now and I think (the bail conditions) are too wide in terms of the ambit, so we’re looking to see if it is best restricted to, perhaps, the offending postings.”

He added: “Otherwise, he should be free ... to be able to use the Internet.”

In response to queries, an AGC spokesman said the bail conditions do not prohibit Amos from accessing the Internet. “He is at liberty to consume information on the Internet and to use (it) for private communications,” she added.

Mr Law, who met Amos for the first time after the teenager was released at about 7pm, said he hopes Amos would be more open to being counselled by a third-party, like himself.

Amos was seen leaving the State Courts with his mother in a car, while his father went a separate way. He will appear before the court again on April 30 for a pre-trial conference.