Man to be charged with allegedly starting a fire in front of mosque at UOB Plaza
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Police said they were alerted to a fire outside a mosque at 80 Raffles Place at around 9pm on Sept 25.
PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM GOOGLE MAPS
- A 50-year-old Chinese man is charged for allegedly starting a fire at the entrance of Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali in UOB Plaza on Sept 25.
- He placed an oil tin and set fire to an undergarment, but the fire was quickly extinguished by a member of the public with no injuries reported.
- Police identified and arrested the man using camera footage and seized a lighter; he faces up to one year imprisonment, a fine, or both for causing a dangerous fire.
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SINGAPORE – A 50-year-old Chinese man will be charged in court on Sept 26 for allegedly causing a fire at the entrance of a mosque.
In a statement early on Sept 26, police said they were alerted to a fire outside a mosque located at 80 Raffles Place at around 9pm on Sept 25.
Checks show that Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali, which is at the basement of UOB Plaza, is located at that address.
Preliminary police investigations revealed that the man had placed an oil tin at the entrance of the mosque and set fire to an undergarment placed in the tin before leaving the location.
The fire was extinguished by a member of public and no injuries were reported.
Through ground enquiries and with the help of cameras, the man was identified and arrested, according to the police statement. The police also seized a lighter as evidence.
The man will be charged in court on Sept 26 with causing or contributing to the risk of a dangerous fire. The offence carries an imprisonment term of up to one year, or fine, or both.
In their statement, the police said they have zero tolerance for acts that endanger the lives or safety of others, and "will not hesitate to act against those who blatantly disregard the law”.
In a Facebook post on the evening of Sept 26, Acting Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Zaqy Mohamad thanked the person who helped put out the fire, and said the mosque remains safe and continues to operate as usual.