A local man was arrested on July 18 for falsely reporting to the police that a certain person would attack passers-by in Iao Hon as well as posting messages in the street and the staircase of a building claiming that person was a COVID-19 carrier, Public Security Police (PSP) spokesperson said at a press briefing on Friday.
The jobless suspect surnamed Leong is in his forties.
According to the spokesperson, at least seven calls were received on the 999 hotline on July 16 and 17 from the suspect who told the police that someone would harass passers-by in Rua Sete do Bairro Iao Hon. The suspect even threatened the police that if they failed to send officers to deal with the matter, that person would not just harass but would also attack the passers-by. However, the Public Security Police had sent officers several times to the scene but they were unable to find anyone harassing passers-by but instead the officers discovered messages claiming that a certain person was infected with the novel coronavirus posted on the staircase of a residential building in the neighbourhood. PSP officers also discovered the same messages were posted in Calçada da Vitória. The officers suspected that the caller had made false reports.
Thanks to CCTV footage, PSP officers discovered Leong had posted the messages in the two locations and arrested him on July 18 in Rua Seis do Bairro Iao Hon. Under questioning, Leong admitted to making the false reports and posting the messages. He told the police that he had quarrelled with that person in Rua Sete do Bairro Iao Hon earlier so he made the false police reports and posted the false messages to take revenge, the spokesperson said.
Leong has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of threatening police, threatening to commit a crime and falsely claiming that a certain person was posing a health threat to the general public, according to the spokesperson.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Friday shows the suspect being escorted by PSP officers to a police station.
