Well-known activist and foreign worker advocate Jolovan Wham will be charged in court on Wednesday (29 November) for organising illegal public assemblies, vandalism and for refusing to sign his statements under the Penal Code.

“Wham is recalcitrant and has repeatedly shown blatant disregard for the law, especially with regard to organising or participating in illegal public assemblies,” said the Singapore Police Force in a news release on Tuesday.

Wham, 37, created a Facebook event on 13 July this year, asking the public to participate in a “vigil” outside Changi Prison Complex (CPC), said the police.

He stated in the Facebook post that a permit had not been sought for the event but went on to hold the “vigil”. Seventeen people, including Wham, were then investigated for their various roles in organising and participating in an illegal public assembly outside the CPC.

Police investigations against the remaining 16 people are still ongoing. “This was not the first time Wham had organised or participated in illegal public assemblies,” said the release.

On 3 June, Wham organised a “silent protest” on an MRT train with eight other persons without a police permit. He also pasted two A4-sheets on an MRT train panel, committing an offence of vandalism under Section 3 of the Vandalism Act.

Police added that on 26 November 2016, Wham organised an indoor public assembly featuring a foreign speaker, which required a Police permit. He proceeded to hold the event without a police permit, despite being advised by authorities that a permit was required.

An earlier Yahoo News Singapore report stated that Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong had been invited to speak via Skype at an event here titled “Civil Disobedience and Social Movements”, which was scheduled to be held on the aforementioned date. The report also said that the event was organised by the Community Action Network and cited Wham as its spokesman.

The police release added that during investigations into the above offences, Wham also refused to sign his statement on multiple occasions when required to.

In Singapore, it is a criminal offence under the Public Order Act to organise or participate in a public assembly without a police permit. Anyone convicted of organising a public assembly without a police permit under the Public Order Act can be fined up to $5,000. Repeat offenders can be fined up to $10,000 and/or imprisoned for up to six months.

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