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"Stern warning" for teenager who created fake webpage on Lee Kuan Yew's death

Xinhua, April 7, 2015 Adjust font size:

A stern warning was administered to a male Singapore student below 16 years old who posted a fake announcement on the supposed death of Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on March 18, according to a statement released on Tuesday.

According to the press release from Singapore's Attorney- General's Chambers, no hacking or unauthorized access of the Prime Minister's Office took place. The student who created the fake webpage never intended his "hoax" message to be widely disseminated.

The student said he created the image because he was frustrated with the frequent rumors about the demise of Lee Kuan Yew. He wanted to demonstrate to his friends how easy it was for a hoax to be perpetuated, the AGC said.

The student shared the image with his friends. Within two minutes thereafter, he informed them that the image was not an actual photo, but the fake image had been forwarded by one or more of the original recipients.

The decision of "stern warning" was taken after careful consideration of all relevant factors including the young male's personal circumstances and readiness to accept responsibility, the AGC said.

With deep regrets on the inconvenience and embarrassment his conduct has caused, the student had cooperated fully with the police and explained the circumstances that led to his creation of the photograph, the press release said.

The fake image had prompted many media wrongly report Lee Kuan Yew's demise on March 18. Singapore's founding prime minister passed away on March 23. Endi