SINGAPORE: A police officer who made allegations of racism and workplace bullying before he died had faced “substantial challenges at work”, for which his superiors had offered help, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said on Monday (Jul 24).
Sergeant Uvaraja Gopal, 35, died in hospital on Friday evening after he was found lying motionless at the foot of a Housing Board block in Yishun. The police do not suspect foul play.
In a Facebook post that was later removed, SGT Uvaraja said he had been bullied by his superiors and subjected to ethnic slurs by his teammates – claims that Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said on Friday that the police would investigate thoroughly.
Addressing the claims of racial discrimination, SPF said on Monday that SGT Uvaraja had made allegations back in 2015, adding that these were looked into and found to be unsubstantiated.
On the complaints that he made against his superiors and peers over the years, SPF said they had been investigated and dealt with. But some of them are being investigated again in light of his latest allegations.
SGT Uvaraja had served with the police for more than 10 years and was last an officer with Ang Mo Kio Police Division.
“At this point, we can set out only the known facts, as not all the relevant facts have been established. It is also inappropriate for the police to make any comments, or come to any conclusions, pending detailed investigations,” the police said on Monday.
CHALLENGES FACED AT WORK
SPF said that SGT Uvaraja’s superiors had assessed that he was facing “substantial challenges at work” and tried to help him in a number of ways.
These included coaching to address his performance issues. He was also granted transfers, at his request, to six different work units in nine years.
SPF said he was also granted additional leave since 2015 beyond his usual entitlements.
For example, he was at work for fewer than 30 days last year as he was on various types of leave, including extended sick leave, unrecorded leave and no pay leave. In 2023, he had been at work for fewer than 25 days, for similar reasons.
His supervisors had arranged for counselling and “psychological assistance” for him at various points in his service from 2016, said SPF.
In January this year, he was assigned a para-counsellor after he reported experiencing work stress.
On Feb 16, he reported to a new unit – following his request for a transfer – and “showed signs of being unstable”, said SPF.
“He was counselled by a para-counsellor on the same day, and later attended to by a psychologist from the Police Psychological Services Department. Due to safety concerns, he was relieved from carrying firearms from Feb 16, 2023.”