SINGAPORE — Ahead of next week’s Committee of Inquiry public hearing to establish circumstances that led to the riot in Little India last December, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said yesterday that no offence was committed by the bus driver in the fatal traffic accident that triggered the riot. No further action will be taken against him, it added.

The AGC said it had carefully and extensively studied the evidence — submitted by the Traffic Police — which included video footage, an independent expert report, written statements of witnesses, autopsy and toxicology reports and other medical evidence, as well as visits to the scene by investigators, prosecutors and forensic experts.

Mr Lee Kim Huat alias Lim Hai Tiong, 55, who works for transport company BT & Tan, was arrested on Dec 9, the day after the accident that killed Indian foreign worker Sakthivel Kumaravelu, and released on bail pending investigations.

Four video cameras mounted on the bus driven by Mr Lee captured comprehensive views of the vicinity of the bus’ external surroundings as well as its interior, the AGC said. Investigations showed that Sakthivel walked unsteadily towards Race Course Road after he was asked to get off the bus on account of his misbehaviour, said the AGC. He was moderately to severely intoxicated, with a blood alcohol level of 217mg/100ml of blood.

Video footage showed him then running after the bus unsteadily after it had moved off. In a span of about four seconds, he placed his right palm against the left side of the bus, lost his balance, and fell into the path of the moving bus. The bus was filtering out of Tekka Lane onto Race Course Road when the accident occurred.

(View the graphic showing the sequence of events here.)

“Throughout the entire incident, the driver was driving at a very low overall speed of approximately 5.6 to 5.9kmh,” said the AGC.

He was focused on avoiding heavy human traffic around his bus, and on negotiating between the stationary and moving vehicles along Tekka Lane, the AGC added.

“The driver was watching out for oncoming traffic from his right, and could not be expected to foresee that the deceased had run after the moving bus. Nor could the driver have expected that the deceased would fall into the path of the bus,” it said.

After reviewing the evidence, the Public Prosecutor has determined that no offence was committed by Mr Lee in relation to the fatal accident, the AGC added.

Mr Lee’s employer, Mr Ben Tan, told TODAY via SMS that Mr Lee is still working as a driver for the company but he did not want to be interviewed as it would disrupt his work.

When contacted in the evening, Mr Lee’s 19-year-old daughter said her father did not have any comments on the AGC’s decision.

The accident sparked Singapore’s first riot in over 40 years, which led to 25 people charged in court, 57 repatriated and 213 others issued with police advisories. On Monday, the first of the 25 people charged was sentenced to 15 weeks’ jail for continuing in an assembly after it had been ordered to disperse.

The public hearing by the four-member Committee of Inquiry on the Little India riot will start next Wednesday. The Committee, chaired by former High Court Judge G Pannir Selvam, will establish, among other things, factors that led to the riot, how it unfolded and how response forces managed the incident before submitting its report and recommendations.

Since the riot, measures — including restrictions on the sale and consumption of alcohol during weekends, public holidays and eves of public holidays — have been imposed in Little India. Police presence has also been beefed up.

Last month, the Ministry of Home Affairs introduced a Bill in Parliament seeking to temporarily enhance police powers in Little India for up to a year.

Civil society activists on Monday called for Parliament to consider the Public Order (Additional Temporary Measures) Bill more carefully and slow its passage if possible. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY SIAU MING EN