I am upset and disturbed...

They move fast, don't they?

WP’s Gomez detained over Elections Department complaint
By Rita Zahara/Johnson Choo/Valarie Tan/Pearl Forss, Channel NewsAsia

SINGAPORE : James Gomez, the man at the centre of a controversy with the Elections Department over a minority candidate certificate, has been detained by police.

In a statement, police said they were investigating after receiving a complaint against Mr Gomez from the Elections Department.

Mr Gomez was stopped at Changi Airport on Sunday afternoon and prevented from leaving for Sweden.

Channel NewsAsia understands his passport and boarding pass have been confiscated.

Mr Gomez was taken to the Police Cantonment Complex at 4pm to have his statement taken.

During the hustings, Mr Gomez was embroiled in a controversy over his application for a minority candidate certificate.

He claimed to have submitted an application at the Elections Department, but security camera footage showed otherwise.

People’s Action Party leaders later accused Mr Gomez of trying to discredit the Elections Department by claiming its staff had misplaced his form.

In a statement, Deputy Prime Minister Wong Kan Seng had charged that Mr Gomez stage-managed the entire episode from the start.

Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew called Mr Gomez a liar, a charge he repeated on Sunday before police confirmed they had detained the Workers’ Party candidate.

Said Mr Lee, “When I call a man openly, you’re a liar, you’re dishonest, and you do not dare to sue me, there’s something basically wrong. And I will repeat it anywhere and you can’t go and say, oh, I have apologised; let’s move on. Can you commit a dishonourable — maybe even one which is against the law — an illegal act and say, let’s move on because I’ve apologised? You may move on but you’re going to move on out of politics in time.”

Mr Lee said that whether other Workers’ Party members connived at Mr Gomez’s doings was a matter still to be determined.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was asked to comment on Mr Gomez’s detention during his victory parade in Ang Mo Kio.

Mr Lee said he was not aware of what had happened, since the Elections Department filed a police report against Mr Gomez.

He said the matter was now in the hands of police.

At about 8pm, Workers’ Party chairman Sylvia Lim was seen entering the police headquarters.

It is believed she is helping with investigations. - CNA /ct