The week started off rough for the editor of a local news site known for getting under politicians’ skin when his home was unexpectedly raided by the police this morning.
Terry Xu of The Online Citizen said police came at 7:30am and seized his phone and computer and called him in for questioning at the station tomorrow. Xu said he was not allowed to disclose the nature of the investigation.
“Police came to my house at about 7.30 am and seized my phone and computer for an investigation. They asked that I not share any details on the investigation. Have also been asked to attend an interview at Police Cantonment Complex tomorrow at 10am,” Xu said.
Police came to my house at about 7.30 am and seized my phone and computer for an investigation. They asked that I not…
Posted by Terry Xu on Sunday, 7 March 2021
The police did not immediately respond to Coconuts’ request for comment.
Xu has been the target of law enforcers in the past few years over articles published on his website, a staple of Singapore’s dissidents for its aggressive political coverage.
In 2018, five police officers seized his electronic devices a month before he was charged with defaming cabinet members in an article stating there was “corruption at the highest echelons” in the government. The trial began in October and is ongoing.
Xu is also awaiting judgment after being sued by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for defamation pertaining to an article about the Lee family feud and their Oxley Road home. Lee was seeking compensation from Xu for “malice and aggravating conduct.”
Xu had also challenged in court an order under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act to take down and correct an article regarding hanging in Singapore’s prisons that was written off a press statement by Malaysian NGO Lawyers for Liberty. The judge has dismissed his appeal.
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