3 men, aged 38, 51 & 75 charged with vandalism & mischief in Toa Payoh, allegedly business rivals

Three men have been charged with vandalism and mischief after allegedly pasting and destroying advertisement stickers tit for tat, in the common areas of a Toa Payoh HDB estate.

On Jan. 27, Joo Tat Chong, 51, Lee Sai Koon, 75, and Kevin Lee Wei Qiang, 38, who were allegedly business rivals, were brought to court, reported The Straits Times.

In a Jan. 26 press release, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) stated that they were alerted to multiple cases of vandalism at Blocks 403A and 402B, Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

The advertisements were pasted in HDB lifts, doors and along common corridors.

The men's identities were established through follow-up investigations and CCTV footage.

Damaged public property

All three men allegedly committed the acts of vandalism in August 2025 by affixing advertising stickers of their own businesses and using a penknife to slash their rivals' stickers and ads, causing damage to public property.

On the evening of Aug. 27, Joo and Kevin Lee purportedly pasted black stickers to cover their competitors' adverts.

Joo also allegedly defaced advertisement stickers affixed to the doors of multiple residents' HDB units, damaging at least four doors.

Besides pasting and slashing advertisements with another individual, Lin Yaying at Toa Payoh on Aug. 27, Lee Sai Koon was also charged with vandalism at Ang Mo Kio.

On Jun. 29, 2025, at around 10:50am, at the first-floor lift lobby of Blk 246A Ang Mo Kio Street 21, Lee Sai Koon allegedly spray-painted a noticeboard belonging to Ang Mo Kio Town Council black.

Lee Sai Koon was also handed an additional charge of using abusive language towards a public service worker in a separate incident on Aug. 23, 2025, in Ang Mo Kio.

Penalties

The offence of mischief under Section 426 of the Penal Code carries a maximum of one year's jail, fine or both.

Vandalism with common intention carries a maximum of three years' jail, a fine of up to S$2,000 and three to eight strokes of the cane.

As they are over 50 years old, Joo and Lee Sai Koon cannot be caned.

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Top photo from Ana/Google Maps and Mothership