‘Deliberate’ falsehoods have been spread about Benjamin Lim case: K Shanmugam

SINGAPORE — “Deliberate falsehoods” have been put out on the Benjamin Lim case, which have tarred the police unfairly, said Home Affairs and Law Minister K Shanmugam in Parliament on Tuesday (March 1), singling out socio-political website The Online Citizen for going on what he described as a “planned, orchestrated campaign, using falsehoods”.

Benjamin was found dead at his foot of his block on Jan 26, hours after he was interviewed by the police over allegations of molest. The case has drawn much public interest, with some questioning the police’s handling of the case. 

Addressing the House on the death of Benjamin in a ministerial statement, Mr Shanmugam said there have been statements put out on the case that are inaccurate, based on the facts the police have. 

Some of these include those stating the police were not in plainclothes when they went to the school to identify him, that Benjamin was interviewed and intimidated by five police officers, and that he was coerced to make an admission to an offence he did not commit. 

Some have also said that Benjamin was not given food and drink, and some even suggested the girl — who is 11 — might not have been molested and might have made a false report, said Mr Shanmugam, who had set out the facts of the case in his speech, including the fact that Benjamin was not interviewed by five police officers and that he had been offered food and drink while at the station.

Many of these, he said, were put out by The Online Citizen, which published about 20 articles on this matter. For example, one on Feb 5 stated the police wore attire stating “Police” while seeking out Benjamin at his school. This was after Police had said on Feb 1 that they went in plain clothes, noted the minister.

This suggested that the police were lying to Singaporeans, he said, pointing out the article had relied on a post from a woman named Mary Anne Pereira who claimed her son had seen officers in shirts with word “Police” at the school. The police had followed up with Ms Pereira, who said she had gotten it wrong, and she took down her post. 

People make many statements online, and they can be mistaken, said Mr Shanmugam. “That is why there is a court process to establish the truth,” he said.