TODAY: Gomez investigation continues

JASMINE YIN
jasmine.yin@newstoday.com.sg



THE police have confirmed that they are investigating Mr James Gomez (picture) from the Workers' Party (WP) for alleged offences of criminal intimidation and providing false information to the Elections Department.

Several persons, including Elections Department officials, Mr Gomez and WP chairman Sylvia Lim, have been interviewed, but "no arrest has been made and no persons detained in police custody", said the police in a media statement released yesterday.

"The police are in the process of reviewing the evidence and interviewing all relevant persons."

This probe follows a complaint lodged by the Elections Department against Mr Gomez on Polling Day last Saturday.

The 40-year-old researcher became embroiled in controversy during the nine days of hustings when the Elections Department disputed - using evidence such as security video footage and a transcript of a telephone conversation he had with a department official - his claim about having submitted his minority candidate certificate to the department.

Late on Sunday afternoon, Mr Gomez was stopped at the airport where he was planning to catch a flight to Sweden to resume work at Idea International - a job he had taken up just a few weeks ago. He was asked to assist in investigations pertaining to this complaint and acceded to that request.

Emerging from the Police Cantonment Complex just past midnight after some six hours of questioning, he told the waiting media that his passport had been seized and impounded indefinitely.

Mr Gomez was part of a WP team led by Ms Lim that challenged the People's Action Party (PAP) in Aljunied GRC.

The contest ended with the PAP team, which is fronted by Foreign Affairs Minister George Yeo, winning 56.1 per cent of the votes.

Mr Gomez told TODAY he had not been called for further police questioning, but that he is "willing to cooperate with the investigations in any way possible".

When asked if he had been in contact with WP secretary-general Low Thia Khiang and Ms Lim after he was released from questioning, Mr Gomez would only say: "I've been in touch with my party colleagues."

He said that the police had not reverted to him on his request for a letter that he could use to explain the situation to his employers at Stockholm-based think-tank Idea International, who are expecting him to report for work this week.

"I'll just wait, but I have informed them of the situation," he said.

While investigations are now underway, an online petition has been set up to protest against the probe on Mr Gomez.