Mr. James Gomez, Executive Director, Think Centre will be speaking at the Speaker's Corner, Hong Lim Park at 6.30pm today (27/03/2001) after an absence of almost three months. Mr. Gomez will elaborate on the investigations and the administration of a warning letter issued at the Central Police Division today.
Singapore Police Force concluded their investigation into the Speaker's Corner International Human Rights Day event earlier this afternoon by calling in Mr. James Gomez to the Central Police Station at 11.30am. He was informed that he is the main organiser of the event and an offence has been committed. Instead of prosecution the Police will chose to administer a warning.
Mr. Gomez this afternoon refused to accept the warning on the grounds that the Speaker's Corner was not administered professionally by the police and the law clumsy formulated for the Corner. After an hour of dicussion with the investigation officer, clarification with the Attorney General Chambers as well Mr. Gomez'z consultation with his own lawyer the issue was resolved by Mr. Gomez reluctantly accepting the warning letter. The Police insisted that an organised gathering at speaker's corner is an offence. Mr. Gomez was invited to take up the Speaker's Corner issue directly with the licencing division. Mr. Gomez was refused the addition of any form of qualification to the "warning".
The "warning" was administed by DSP, Florence Chua, Head Investigation, Central Police Division and witnessed by Inspector Victor Kheong and Deputy Commander, Central Police Station, Raymond Yeo a little after 12.30pm today.
