22-year old blogger Han Hui Hui was questioned by police for seven hours on Friday in its investigations over a possible offence of unlawful assembly during the CPF protest event which Ms Han had organised on 27th September 2014.
During the protest at Hong Lim Park on 27 September, Ms Han led a march of over a hundred supporters. The march involved going into the area where another event which was being held by the Young Men Christian Association (YMCA).
According to news reports, a police spokesman said Ms Han is among “several persons” who are currently assisting them in its investigations. The probe has been ongoing since a police report was lodged on the same day the protest was held.
Ms Han claims that she was asked more than 300 questions by the police during their interview over the seven hours she was kept at the Cantonment Police Complex.
The police spokesman said officers had visited Ms Han’s home on Thursday at about 9.30pm to inform her of the interview “after she did not answer… telephone calls”.
Since she was not home at that point in time, the police said its officers handed the letter to her family member.
The police denied online reports that officers turned up at Ms Han’s house at midnight the night before the interview.
Nonetheless, other interviewees told The Online Citizen (TOC) that plainclothes policemen had visited their homes at midnight. (see report)
Ms Han called the police division at 11pm the same night to reschedule her appointment to 8pm on Friday. But at 1.45pm on Friday, she called the division again to say she would show up at the police station earlier.
The police spokesman reportedly said, “During the interview, Ms Han was provided with refreshments. She took several breaks but she declined an offer to take a break for dinner.”
According to Ms Han, the police asked if she wanted to go for a dinner break at 5.00 pm. As Ms Han wanted to finish the interview as soon as possible, she asked the police officer about how long more the interview would take. She said the police officer told her it would last a further 30 minutes.
Ms Han thus decided she would prefer to continue with the interview.
However, the interview went on for a lot longer, extensions of 30 minutes by the police officer again and again, until 9.30pm.
Online reports also said a notebook Ms Han was using to take down notes during the interview was seized by the police, and that she was not allowed to call her lawyer, M Ravi.
Ms Han said she had declined to hand the notebook over, and it was still taken away from her. She also wanted to transfer the information she had recorded onto the other notebook which she had with her, but was told by the police officer that even if she copied the questions over, this other notebook will be taken away as well.
In its reply to the local media, the police did not address or deny it had indeed confiscated Ms Han’s notebook.
The police also did not deny that Ms Han was told she had no rights to access to legal counsel and was told not to make a call to her lawyer.
The police also did not allow her lawyer to be present during her interview.
After the police interview ended at 9.30pm, Ms Han left the police station, and was met by filmmaker Martyn See.