Acting Manpower Minister Tan Chuan-Jin has slammed the original Financial Times (FT) report on American researcher Shane Todd's death as "irresponsible" and "sensationalist".

The February report by journalist Raymond Bonner suggested that Dr Todd had been murdered because he conducted military-related research for Chinese telecoms giant Huawei Technologies while employed at the Singapore Institute of Microelectronics. Huawei had been suspected of espionage by the US government, which it denied.

After a Singapore coroner's inquiry found on Monday that Dr Todd's death was a suicide by hanging, the FT said in response to queries by The Straits Times that it stood by the report.

Posting on Facebook on Monday night, Mr Tan said: " So The FT believes that their irresponsible piece of journalism stands? Creating conspiracy out of nothing... I wonder if their sensationalism led the Todd family down this unfortunate path."

He noted that the United States embassy in Singapore had also said in a statement that the Singapore inquiry had been "comprehensive, fair and transparent".