Man to be charged over fire allegedly set outside mosque at UOB Plaza

A 50-year-old Chinese man has been arrested for his alleged involvement in causing a fire outside a mosque at Raffles Place.

In a statement on Saturday (Sept 26), police said they were alerted to a fire at about 9pm on Sept 25 outside the mosque at 80 Raffles Place.

Online checks indicate that the above-mentioned address corresponds to Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali, an underground mosque located in the Central Business District.

Preliminary investigations found that the man had allegedly placed an oil tin at the entrance of the mosque and set fire to a piece of undergarment inside the tin before leaving the scene.

The fire was extinguished by a member of the public, and no injuries were reported.

Through ground enquiries and with the aid of police cameras, officers from the central police division established the man's identity and arrested him within three hours of the report.

A lighter was also seized as a case exhibit.

The police said they have zero tolerance for acts that endanger the lives or safety of others and will not hesitate to act against those who blatantly disregard the law.

The man is expected to be charged in court on Saturday with causing or contributing to a risk of dangerous fire, an offence under Section 285 of the Penal Code 1871.

If convicted, the offence carries a penalty of up to one year's imprisonment, a fine, or both.

xingying.koh@asiaone.com

一名50岁的中国男子因涉嫌参与在莱佛士坊一座清真寺外纵火而被捕。

警方在周六（9 月 26 日）发表的声明中表示，他们于 9 月 25 日晚上 9 点左右接到报警，称莱佛士坊 80 号清真寺外发生火灾。

网上查询显示，上述地址对应的是位于中央商务区的地下清真寺 Masjid Moulana Mohamed Ali。

初步调查发现，该男子涉嫌将一个油罐放在清真寺入口处，点燃了罐子里的一件内衣，然后离开现场。

火灾被一名路人扑灭，无人受伤。

通过实地调查和借助警用摄像机，中央警署的警员确定了该男子的身份，并在接到报案后三小时内将其逮捕。

警方还缴获了一个打火机作为案件证物。

警方表示，他们对危害他人生命或安全的行为零容忍，并将毫不犹豫地对公然藐视法律的人采取行动。

该男子预计将于周六在法庭上被控犯有造成或促成危险火灾风险的罪行，该罪行违反了 1871 年刑法典第 285 条。

如果罪名成立，该罪行最高可判处一年监禁、罚款或两者并罚。

邢莹.koh@asiaone.com