A 50-year-old man has been charged after allegedly starting a fire outside Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali at UOB Plaza in Raffles Place.
Martin See Hock Leng was charged on Saturday, 26 September, with causing or contributing to the risk of a dangerous fire. He also faces one charge involving insulting words and two theft charges.
No injuries were reported from the fire.
Undergarment Allegedly Set On Fire Inside Oil Tin
According to court documents reported by The Straits Times, the fire was allegedly started at about 8.05pm on Friday, 25 September, outside Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali.
The mosque is located in the basement of UOB Plaza 1 at 80 Raffles Place. Its official website describes it as Singapore’s only underground mosque.
Police said they were alerted to the fire at about 9pm.
Preliminary investigations found that the man had allegedly placed an oil tin at the mosque’s entrance and set fire to an undergarment inside it before leaving.
A member of the public extinguished the fire, and nobody was reported injured.
Police identified the man through ground enquiries and camera footage, and arrested him within three hours of receiving the report. A lighter was also seized as a case exhibit.
Man Also Faces Insulting-Words And Theft Charges
Besides the fire-related charge, See faces a charge of using insulting words over a separate incident at Novena Church on 24 June.
According to court documents reported by The Straits Times, the charge alleges that See directed remarks about another man’s religion at the man while he was praying.
See also faces two theft charges.
One concerns an eyewear frame valued at S$249 that he allegedly stole from a shop at Mandarin Gallery on 16 September. The other involves a silver necklace valued at S$15 that he allegedly took from a shop in Arab Street on 23 May.
These allegations have not been proven in court.
The court ordered See to be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for a medical examination. His case is expected to be mentioned again in October.
For causing or contributing to the risk of a dangerous fire, a person convicted can be jailed for up to one year, fined up to S$5,000, or both.
