An official of the US Embassy in Singapore has visited Mr Gopalan Nair at the Central Police Station where he is being kept in the lock-up since Saturday night for “using insulting words against a public servant.”
US Consul, Ms Julie Kavanagh visited Mr Nair this evening and assured Mr Nair that she would be contacting various people about his status.
Mr Nair was arrested at the hotel he was staying in at Serangoon Road last night under a non-bailable warrant of arrest. He was only allowed to use the telephone after the visit by Ms Kavanagh.
This contrasts with those arrested on 15 Mar 08 at the Tak Boleh Tahan! protest when they were not even alowed to make telephone calls to lawyers. This is the kind of discrimination that the Singapore Government shows against its own citizens.
It is understood that Mr Nair will be charged in the Subordinate Courts 23 tomorrow at 9 am under the Miscellaneous Offences Act. The offence under the penal code carries a maximum fine of S$ 5,000 or one year imprisonment.
Lawyer Mr Chia Ti Lik has expressed that he is willing to represent Mr Nair who is a practising lawyer himself in the US. He is also expected to be out on bail tomorrow.