faces charges under the Enlistment Act for dodging<\/a> national service obligations, appeared at the State Courts on Thursday (Apr 23) for a pre-trial conference but was not able to attend it as he did not have access.<\/p>\nPre-trial conferences are administrative hearings before a case goes to trial or is fixed for a guilty plea. Usually, they are held in chambers away from the public or media and fronted by lawyers. Represented accused persons usually do not have to show up for such conferences.<\/p>\n
“I didn’t even know that I had a lawyer so I don’t even have to attend court, I don’t even have access to the Zoom call,” Yee told the media after exiting shortly after he entered the court building.<\/p>\n
The 27-year-old Singaporean had initially said he would not be engaging counsel.<\/p>\n
According to court records, Yee’s new lawyer is Mr Divanan Narkunan. CNA has contacted him for more information.<\/p>\n
Yee spoke at length to reporters after being unable to access the pre-trial conference.<\/p>\n
Among other things, he said he would “just treat it like a business trip” if he received a prison sentence, as it was “something I have to do to ignite a political movement”.<\/p>\n
He was also asked about his bans from dating applications and said he was trying to find a date.<\/p>\n
“I’ve been in prison for like five years so I think it’s reasonable to try to find a date,” he said.<\/p>\n
He also said “Singapore is terrible” with “boring buildings” and “very depressing people,” but he still felt “best to be here”.<\/p>\n
His mother stood at the side while her son talked at length.<\/p>\n
When approached by CNA on whether he would be pleading guilty, she directed all questions to her son.<\/p>\n
Court records stated that the case was adjourned to May for the defence lawyer to confirm instructions. If he is to make any representations, they are to be made by May 14.<\/p>\n
Representations are communications to the prosecutor from the defence, setting out the defence\u2019s position and attempting to persuade the prosecution to agree to something.<\/p>\n
A second pre-trial conference was fixed for May 22.<\/p>\n
BACKGROUND<\/h2>\n
Yee is accused of failing to report for pre-enlistment medical screening over nine years, from Apr 26, 2016, to Mar 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
He is also accused of leaving Singapore without valid exit permits over two periods: From Dec 13, 2015, to Apr 19, 2016, and from Dec 15, 2016, to Mar 19, 2026.<\/p>\n
CNA understands that under the current circumstances, Yee will not be charged again in military court or face time in detention barracks for the same offences for which he was charged in criminal court.<\/p>\n
However, he will have to serve NS.<\/p>\n
Yee had left Singapore for the United States in 2016, after being jailed twice for making remarks about Christians and Muslims.<\/p>\n
He was granted asylum by the US in 2017, but later charged with possessing child pornography and grooming a minor.<\/p>\n
He pleaded guilty in the US in December 2021 and was sentenced to six years’ jail. Halfway through his backdated sentence, he was granted parole but was taken back into custody soon after for violating parole conditions.<\/p>\n
In November last year, Yee was detained by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement after he was released on parole from the Danville Correctional Center in Illinois.<\/p>\n
He was deported back to Singapore last month.<\/p>\n
NS defaulters can be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$10,000 (US$7,800), or both. Yee faces those penalties for each of his three charges.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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