NSF Dave Lee’s death: 6 SAF servicemen charged in military court

SINGAPORE — Six Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) servicemen were charged in military court on Thursday (Feb 20) over their alleged roles in the death of full-time national serviceman Dave Lee, the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) told TODAY.

In response to queries, the ministry said that the police had referred the six servicemen for investigations into potential breaches of military law surrounding the death of Corporal First Class Lee.

They were hauled to military court after the SAF’s Special Investigation Branch completed their investigations.

Lee succumbed to heat injuries following an 8km fast march at Bedok Camp on April 30, 2018. The 19-year-old spent more than a week in intensive care in hospital before he died.

A committee of inquiry convened to look into his death revealed that there was significant delay in evacuating Lee, as well as inadequate measures given on-site after the march. 

The day before, an afternoon training session deviated from the lesson plan, resulting in Lee running faster and having less rest than stipulated.

Lee’s platoon was also mobilised that night for not observing “lights out”, and were punished with physical exercises, among other things, resulting in the soldiers having six hours and 15 minutes of uninterrupted rest instead of the specified seven hours.

The servicemen charged on Thursday were:

• First Sergeant Chia Zhi Xuan, 25, the conducting officer who allegedly made the unauthorised deviations to the lesson plan. He faces one charge of disobeying general orders.

• Second Sergeant Koh Ren Zhong, 26, the safety officer of the fast march. He was charged with committing a negligent act endangering Lee’s life.

• Third Sergeants (NS) Chng Pheng Heng, 22; Jonas Ang Kai Jie, 24; and Yep Ren Jie, 22. They were the section commanders who meted out the unauthorised punishment the day before the fast march. They each face two charges of disobeying general orders and another charge of abuse of authority.

• Corporal (NS) Tan Jin Yang, 24, the medic for the fast march. He faces two charges of committing a negligent act endangering Lee’s life.

Apart from these six servicemen, an SAF captain, Tan Baoshu, was charged in a district court in 2018 for causing Lee’s death by a rash act. However, he died last week at the age of 33 from Stage 4 cancer.

He was granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in January after his diagnosis. He had initially claimed trial to the charge.

Tan was Lee’s officer commanding at the support company of the 1st Guards Battalion and was also the supervising officer for the 8km fast march on the morning of April 18, 2018.

After the march, Lee showed signs of heat injury. 

Between 8.25am and 9.10am that day, Tan allegedly failed to evacuate Lee in a timely manner, and also disallowed the administration of “necessary treatment” to the NSF, which led to his death from heat stroke, court documents revealed.