Abdul Rahim Mes Adi, 34, pleaded guilty to sending a text message last June to a random number warning of bombs planted at City Hall, Raffles Place and Raffles Marketplace to implicate his brother-in-law, who had refused to lend him money.

Mr Rahim had used a second-hand cellphone he had bought. Its previous owner had forgotten to remove the SIM card but police were able to track Rahim down.

He could have been jailed up to three years.