SINGAPORE: A Singaporean man was sentenced to four years in prison for sending death threat letters containing a white powder - which turned out to be coffee creamer - to two high-profile Cabinet ministers.
Hui Man, a 31-year-old personnel manager, sent a letter that said “Die!” to Deputy Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, The Straits Times newspaper reported.
Hui sent a similar letter to another Cabinet minister, Lee Yock Suan, in October last year, the newspaper said.
He put coffee creamer in both envelopes and tried to pass it off as anthrax spores, the paper said.
Hui was sentenced to four years in prison under this republic's new anti-terrorism laws. He was also sentenced to another year in jail for fabricating evidence and for harassment of a 12-year-old girl.
The letters were sent a year after powdered anthrax spores were found in mail sent to US legislators and media companies in the wake of the Sept 11 attacks.
The US letters prompted numerous hoaxes around the world. – AP
