The police have advised the public to refrain from commenting or speculating on the case of a man found dead in Yishun last Saturday.
In a statement yesterday, the police said a thorough investigation into the unnatural death is ongoing and people are free to comment on the matter after the full and true facts are established in court.
Laying out the timeline of the case, the police said they received a call at 7.57pm last Saturday requesting assistance at Block 279, Yishun Street 22.
A 26-year-old man, identified in media reports as Mr Shawn Ignatius Rodrigues, was found lying motionless and was pronounced dead by paramedics. A 20-year-old Singaporean man was arrested. Both men had known each other for a few years, the police confirmed.
Between April last year and March, the mother of the accused man lodged four police reports against Mr Rodrigues. Three were for alleged nuisance caused by Mr Rodrigues after he turned up at the suspect's house.The fourth was lodged on March 27, which the police are investigating as a case of outrage of modesty of a female.
The police said they interviewed the mother and sent her a letter on April 8, acknowledging an appeal made through her MP, Mr K. Shanmugam, and confirming the case was under investigation. They added that the suspect's family also called the police whenever Mr Rodrigues turned up at their home.
On June 30, Mr Rodrigues lodged a police report alleging that he was assaulted by the accused in the vicinity of Block 279, Yishun Street 22, on June 23. But he indicated that he did not wish to pursue the case further, the police noted.
The police said they have been following up on the reports lodged by both parties and engaging both sides. Following police advice, the accused's family also lodged a magistrate's complaint against Mr Rodrigues. Both parties had been attending Community Court mediation proceedings since February, with the last session held in May.
Commenting or speculating on issues that have to be dealt with in court proceedings may be considered sub judice, the police warned.
"The full and true facts will be established in court. Once the proceedings are over and the facts have been established, people are free to comment on the matter, the facts, including the conduct of all the parties, the investigations and the legal process," the police said.
