Circumstances Under Which Police Body-Worn Camera Footage Are Considered as Video Recording of Interviews Involving Accused Persons

Question:

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim: To ask the Minister for Home Affairs with the expansion of video recording of interviews (VRIs) to all non-capital cases involving vulnerable suspects (a) whether footage taken via body-worn cameras by police officers can be considered as part of VRIs and, if so, under what certain circumstances; and (b) what are the measures taken to preserve the chain of evidence of such footage and protect our Police and investigating officers against allegations of editing or tampering of the video footage especially given the prevalence of technological tools like deepfake.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law:

1. Video recording of interviews (VRI) was introduced to provide an objective account of the interviews and enable the Courts to determine the voluntariness and credibility of the interviewees’ statements, if needed.

2. To facilitate the Courts’ assessment, it is important for the VRI footage to be of good visual and audio quality. VRI is thus conducted in purpose-built VRI rooms, with adequate lighting and away from noise distractions. The video-recording equipment is also purpose-built for VRI. The cameras are mounted such that they focus on the interviewee and capture an overview of the room. New discs are used to record each interview.

3. Immediately after the interview, a copy of the footage is sealed in the presence of the interviewee and stored securely thereafter. A duplicate copy is made to facilitate investigations and court proceedings, including viewing by the accused or the defence lawyers upon request. If there is an allegation that the duplicate copy has been tampered with, the sealed copy can be used, including to determine if the duplicate copy has indeed been tampered with.

4. A transcript of the entire interview is prepared for every VRI session, to facilitate court processes. Transcripts may be voluminous, depending on the duration of the VRI session. The accuracy of the transcripts is ensured through checks by Police and Central Narcotics Bureau officers against the entire duration of the video footage, which can be a few hours long.

5. All of these arrangements and procedures ensure the integrity of VRIs, and their utility to the Courts. The Ministry of Home Affairs’ assessment is that body-worn camera footages in uncontrolled environments do not provide the same level of reliability for use as VRIs in Court. But this is a matter which will be reviewed regularly.