Yesterday, two youths, arrested for allegedly setting fire to a flat for loan sharks, were taken to the crime scene by the police.
Sea Jia Sheng, 16, and Chong Sheng Wei, 18, are accused of starting a fire at the main door of a two-room rental unit at Block 59, Lengkok Bahru, in Redhill, at 2am on May 1.
Both suspects were arrested at their homes.
A couple and their 14-month-old son were sleeping in the flat when the fire started.
Sea and Chang were charged in court last Friday under the Moneylenders Act 2010.
Yesterday, they arrived in a grey van and were taken to the unit on the 10th storey.
Both wore red polo shirts, blue bermudas and slippers.
They were also restrained at the wrists and ankles and flanked by two plain-clothes officers.
They stood outside the unit for not more than five minutes and were seen gesturing towards the charred floor in front of the flat.
Both suspects are believed to be involved in two other harassment-by-fire cases at Hougang Street 51 and Sembawang Drive on May 1 and May 2 respectively.
The Lengkok Bahru occupants had been living there for only two weeks when the incident happened. Their 14-month-old child was taken to hospital for smoke inhalation.
The boy’s father, who wanted to be known only as Mr Tan, 50, said he had not borrowed money from loan sharks.
Mr Tan, a salesman, said the town council had helped to paint the areas affected by the fire and smoke, but the charred floor and tiles outside his unit had not been cleaned up yet.
If convicted of acting on behalf of an unlicensed moneylender, committing or attempting to commit any acts of harassment, the duo can be jailed up to five years and fined a maximum $50,000.
They can also receive up to six strokes of the cane.
tammei@sph.com.sg
This article was first published on May 10, 2016.
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