A French student is facing criminal charges in Singapore after his bizarre actions were caught on camera.
The stomach-churning stunt that left viewers disgusted could put the 18-year-old student behind bars.
“Play stupid games win stupid prizes,” one commenter wrote online.
A French student is facing criminal charges in Singapore after his bizarre actions were caught on camera
Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien, 18, from France, had moved to study at the Singapore branch of the ESSEC Business School.
He was out and about at Goldhill Centre in Thomson Road on March 12 when he filmed himself contaminating items from an iJooz vending machine.
The brand is known for selling freshly squeezed orange juice.
Didier filmed himself licking a straw from the vending machine and then putting it back into the machine’s dispenser.
“City is not safe,” he wrote while sharing his viral video.
His actions forced iJooz to replace all 500 straws in the machine’s dispenser, and each straw was reportedly valued at S$5 (US$3.90).
“City is not safe,” 18-year-old Didier Gaspard Owen Maximilien wrote as he shared the video
The 18-year-old was charged with committing mischief and being a public nuisance over the straw-licking incident.
Represented by lawyers Kalidass Murugaiyan and Kanthan Raghavendra, Didier was charged in court on April 24.
He was offered bail of S$5,000 (US$3,929), and his case was adjourned to May 22.
If Didier is convicted of mischief, he could spend about two years behind bars and face a possible fine.
A conviction for public nuisance would imprison him for around three months, and he could possibly be fined up to S$2,000.
The 18-year-old faces a prison sentence and a possible fine if convicted
His lawyers said he was studying in Singapore, and his parents would be flying to the country over their son’s run-in with the law.
iJooz said they lodged a police report over Didier’s alleged actions.
They also said they carried out additional checks, inspections, straw replacements, and machine sanitation protocols to ensure the safety of their customers wasn’t compromised.
The company also said they were speeding up the process of installing its upgraded vending machines across the country to maintain better standards of hygiene.
“Some of our new vending machines are equipped with a sealed system, so that straws are not left exposed. This will help reduce the likelihood of similar incidents,” iJooz told Chinese-language media outlet Lianhe Zaobao.
iJooz said they were installing upgraded vending machines in the country to prevent similar incidents
The older iJooz vending machines did not have their straw compartments locked, but the upgraded ones reportedly have protective features, such as individually packaged straws and straw compartments that unlock only when the customer has paid for their purchase.
A spokesperson for ESSEC Business School acknowledged the incident involving their student.
“ESSEC takes matters of conduct and community responsibility seriously, and internal investigations are underway,” the school said.
Netizens were repulsed by the video of the teenager tampering with the straw.
“So disgusting! Why would someone do that?!” one asked, while another wrote, “Should cancel his student pass.”
Netizens were repulsed by the video of the teenager tampering with the straw
Another echoed similar sentiments, saying, “Revoke his student pass and ban permanently from entering Singapore. Simple.”
“Was this troublemaker staying in Singapore on a Student Pass?” one asked. “I stayed in Singapore on a student visa for a year and a half, and I always tried to live with a sense of respect for being allowed to stay there as a foreigner. We really should be grateful for the opportunity to visit or live in another country as a guest.”
“In a way, we should be grateful they filmed themselves for clout,” another wrote. “Because I have no idea how many did it in secret and even if there are CCTVs, will need someone to report before they would look through.”
One suggested, “After conviction, iJooz should sue him for damages.”
“Is this why it’s called French kiss?” one commented online.
“Revoke his student pass and ban permanently from entering Singapore. Simple,” one commenter wrote online
