SPF Will Reopen Investigations After Allegations Made By Late Police Officer
The Singapore Police Force (SPF) has responded to media queries regarding the late police officer who made a series of allegations in his last Facebook post before his death.
SPF clarified the allegations, noting that it had investigated complaints Sergeant (SGT) Uvaraja S/O Gopal made over the years and dealt with them.
Still, it will reopen some of the investigations in light of the allegations he made before his passing.
Additionally, SPF said in its statement that SGT Uvaraja had tensions with his family and that he’d been at work fewer than 60 days over the past two years. He had been receiving counselling and psychological assistance since 2016.
Not all the relevant facts have been established, however.
Superiors offered late officer various avenues of help
According to a statement by the SPF on Monday (24 July), SGT Uvaraja had more than 10 years in service and was last an officer with the Ang Mo Kio Police Division.
Source: Google Maps
“We thank his family for his service and again express our deepest condolences,” it added. “We have offered and are giving our fullest assistance to his family.”
Over the years, SGT Uvaraja had made “a number of complaints” against superiors as well as peers.
SPF said that it investigated and dealt with all of them. Regardless, it’ll reopen some investigations following the allegations in his Facebook post, which has now been deleted.
From SPF’s perspective, his superiors had assessed that he was facing substantial challenges at work and tried to help him in a number of ways.
These include the following:
- Providing coaching to address performance issues
- Giving transfers to six different work units in nine years at his request
- Granting additional leave beyond his usual leave entitlements since 2015
- Arranging for counselling and psychological assistance since 2016
Regarding his additional leave, he was at work for fewer than 30 days in 2022
This is because he was on various types of leave, including Extended Sick Leave, Unrecorded Leave, and No Pay Leave, SPF said.
Meanwhile, in 2023, he was at work for no more than 25 days due to similar reasons.
SPF assigned SGT Uvaraja a para-counsellor most recently in January this year as he was experiencing work stress.
He showed signs of being unstable after he reported to a new unit on 16 Feb 2023.
The same day, he received counselling from a para-counsellor and a psychologist from the Police Psychological Services Department.
“Due to safety concerns, he was relieved from carrying firearms from 16 February 2023,” SPF said.
Complaints about other officers
SPF then addressed two instances of complaints SGT Uvaraja made against other officers.
In the first incident in August 2021, SGT Uvaraja had told supervisors that he saw fellow officers vaping within the Police compound.
Source: Roseburg Community Cancer Center, for illustration purposes only
An independent supervisor was tasked to perform searches for e-cigarettes and vaping devices within the station compound.
They also interviewed the suspects.
But the complaint was not made out, so SPF did not take any disciplinary action, it said.
SGT Uvaraja also told supervisors in January this year that he saw fellow officers smoking.
“Investigations found evidence of this infringement and disciplinary action was subsequently taken against those officers,” SPF noted.
He requested a unit transfer after both of these cases as he felt uncomfortable working with the colleagues he had reported on.
This was so he could start afresh. Both times, his supervisors facilitated his requests.
Late officer had tensions with family
SPF also released information regarding SGT Uvaraja’s “tensions” with his family members.
“In the afternoon of 13 July 2023, the Police received multiple calls for assistance at his parents’ residence.”
“When the Police arrived, the late SGT Uvaraja was in a dispute with his family over financial matters. He had also allegedly assaulted his brother.”
Police thus commenced investigations against SGT Uvaraja for a case of voluntarily causing hurt and intentional harassment, a case that was still pending.
The next day, on 14 July, SGT Uvaraja’s mother made a police report against him as “she feared for her safety”.
His sister-in-law also requested police assistance later in the day as he was apparently outside her house.
“He left the area after the police arrived,” SPF noted.
Racial discrimination allegations made by late police officer were unsubstantiated
Finally, SPF said it takes a firm stance against racial discrimination allegations.
SGT Uvaraja had made allegations of racial discrimination in 2015, and the police said it is aware of this.
Following investigations and interviews with the involved officers, SPF said the allegations were “found to be unsubstantiated”.
“There are avenues for SPF officers to raise complaints on discriminatory workplace practices – to their unit Commanders, Police Headquarters (HQ) or the Ministry HQ, and such complaints are looked into seriously.”
Allegations under review
Ending off, the police said it will investigate the allegations again and refer the findings to the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
The Minister of Home Affairs will also decide whether the findings should be further reviewed.
SPF said it will provide updates in due course.
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