A French teenager has been fined in Singapore after admitting to a public nuisance offense stemming from a prank that went viral on social media, Euronews reported.
Nineteen-year-old Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien was ordered on Thursday to pay a €406 fine after posting a video that showed him licking a straw and placing it back into the dispenser of an orange juice vending machine.
Maximilien, who is studying in Singapore, shared the clip on Instagram with the caption, «city is not safe.» The video, filmed on March 12, quickly spread online, prompting public criticism and leading to his arrest.
Prosecutors supported the defense’s request for a fine, describing the offense as being at the lower end of the seriousness scale. They noted that although the prank compromised hygiene, there was no evidence that anyone used the contaminated straw or suffered any harm. They also acknowledged that Maximilien pleaded guilty at the earliest opportunity.
The vending machine operator, iJooz, said it replaced all 500 straws in the dispenser after the prank.
