Stephan Kovalkov, the 25-year-old Singaporean who was seen in a viral video disrespecting a national monument by wakeboarding at the Civilian War Memorial, was given a $4,000 fine on 12 November.
He had also damaged the memorial as a result of his actions.
What happened?
The incident happened on 17 July.
Kovalkov was in the company of 4 of his friends and they were searching for places to wakeboard, setting up a pulley system that operated via a motor at the monument’s water feature for his skiing attempt.
He suggested to his friends to meet up at the Civilian War Memorial at Beach Road, traveling in 2 cars and parking their vehicles at a nearby shopping mall before making their way over.
He set up a winch that he modified himself, to create the force that he needed to drag himself from one end of the water to the other.
He then strapped on his helmet and himself onto his wakeboard and performed a wall slide, where he jumped into the air with the board and brushed it against the monument’s wall in the process.
The infamous video went viral on social video, with many netizens blasting him and his disrespectful act for distaste.
The aforementioned pulley system was operated by his friend, Ekaterina Utkina, a 24-year-old Russian who is a Singapore PR.
However, none of his said accomplices took part in the wakeboarding and they have not been dealt with by the court.
Kovalkov’s wakeboard, helmet, and the winch that he modified himself have also since been confiscated by the police.
Deterrence is key
District Judge Kamala Ponnampalam said during the sentencing that deterrence is the key factor to deter others from committing the same mistakes.
It is also for us to cherish our national monuments.
Singapore Police Force and National Heritage Board statement
The Singapore Police Force and the National Heritage Board issued a joint statement on 13 September, saying that national monuments are important markers of our identity that highlight key milestones in our history.
They reiterated that due respect must be accorded to our national monuments, highlighting war memorials, and added that all acts of disrespect are unacceptable.
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Images and video source: Malvin Fang on Facebook