Police are investigating an incident of videos taken of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s son, Li Yipeng who was offered a ride in a private car.
In a statement on Sunday, the police said a report was made regarding the videos and that the car was driven by a 31-year old Singaporean man. It’s believed that the car in which the videos were taken was no a private-hire car.
The videos, which were taken without Mr Li’s knowledge or permission, show the driver offering Mr Li a ride and then repeatedly asking Mr Li to confirm his identity and relation to PM Lee as well as details of his home address and security arrangements. TOC understands that the videos had been circulated within social media.
The police are “looking into the matter with the assistance of the driver because the nature of the questions raises serious security concerns, given Mr Li’s background”, said the statement.
Regarding the driver, the police also said that he was previously convicted of taking a vehicle without the owner’s consent under the Road Traffic Act. Also, the man was apparently involved in a theft-in-dwelling incident and was given a warning by the police. On top of that, a police report was also lodged against the driver before this for criminal intimidation.
Mr Li is PM Lee’s second child of four. He has Asperger’s syndrome.
Apart from the videos, the police are also investigating a photo that has been circulating around social media. The photo shows a Facebook post purportedly made by the Prime Minister about the incident. The police have since confirmed that the contents of the photo are fake. The authorities also said that a 39-year old man is assisting them on this particular investigation.
PM Lee is aware of the incident involving his son, the videos, and the fake Facebook post, says his press secretary Ms Chang Li Lin.
She said, “It is of concern that a vulnerable person can be taken advantage of like this. Yipeng happens to be PM’s son, but many other vulnerable persons go about Singapore on their own, and they must be able to do so safely, without being taken advantage of or harassed and without their privacy being breached.”
She added that PM Lee would not comment further on the matter as it is still being investigated by the police. She also noted that PM Lee extends his thanks to members of the public who have expressed concerns about the matter.
