Ex-A*Star researcher convicted of pushing auxiliary police officer when caught fishing illegally at reservoir

SINGAPORE — While illegally fishing at Upper Seletar Reservoir in 2019, Chua Ci Jie was spotted by several auxiliary police officers who asked for his particulars.

He ran away before tumbling down a nearby slope with one of the officers who had given chase. He then pushed the officer once before fleeing the scene.

Chua, now 29, was on Monday (Jan 17) found guilty of one charge each of using criminal force to deter a public servant from his duty and refusing to give details of his identity to an auxiliary police officer. He had contested these charges during a trial.

He then pleaded guilty to two other charges of fishing illegally and refusing to produce his identification details.

At the time of his offences on Nov 30, 2019, he worked as a research officer with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*Star).

In response to TODAY's queries, an A*Star spokesperson said on Tuesday that Chua left the organisation in July 2020.

The court heard that Chua had been fishing at the reservoir, which falls within the Central Catchment Nature Reserve, at about 4.45pm that day. Fishing is not permitted within nature reserves except at designated spots.

Chua was about 1km away from the nearest designated spot and did not have approval to fish elsewhere, the court heard.

Mr David Sativel, an auxiliary police officer working for the National Parks Board (NParks), approached Chua. Their encounter was recorded on the officer’s body-worn camera.

Chua immediately replied that he had to go and apologised. Mr Sativel then asked him for his personal particulars but Chua refused to provide them, declining to comply with Mr Sativel’s request to follow him.

Instead, he began to walk in the opposite direction while saying: “I have to decline. I got to go.”

While Mr Sativel tried to explain that NParks officers have the right to stop people, Chua continued trying to leave. Mr Sativel put his hand out to touch Chua, but Chua said not to touch him and insisted on leaving.

At this point, two of Mr Sativel’s colleagues began approaching them. Chua later ran down a nearby slope.

As Mr Sativel held onto the strap of Chua’s bag to prevent him from fleeing, both men ended up tumbling down the slope. Mr Sativel testified that Chua then got up, pushed him once and ran off along a road before stopping.

Mr Sativel’s colleagues caught up with Chua and asked for his identification details. He initially did not comply but soon retrieved his National Registration Identity Card from his wallet and handed it over.

The prosecution called Chua’s defence — that he did not hear Mr Sativel identifying himself as an NParks officer and believed him to be a member of the public — “incredible”.

Other officers had nabbed him earlier for illegally fishing at the same reservoir. He gave his identification details then and was not charged.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Esther Wong said this meant that he was familiar with NParks officers’ protocol of approaching an offender.

Chua has not been sentenced yet and will return to court on Jan 24. He was represented by defence counsel Suang Wijaya and Ms Sophia Ng from Eugene Thuraisingam LLP.

Those convicted of using criminal force on a public servant can be jailed for up to four years or fined, or punished with both. Those who fish illegally can be fined up to S$5,000.