The New Zealand man allegedly sent an email on the morning after the terrorist hijackings in the US. It claimed there was a bomb on board flight SQ 422 to Johannesburg, South Africa. He was believed to be a passenger on that flight. It is not known to whom he directed the email.
SIA made a police report after receiving the threat, and delayed the flight for over six hours. It had been scheduled to leave Singapore at 4.20pm, but only departed at 10.30 pm.
The police arrested the man from one of the lounges at Changi Airport's Terminal 2 while he was waiting to board the Boeing 747-400 Megatop jet.
IBM confirmed to The Straits Times that the suspect is an employee of the company, but declined to furnish more details. The police are still investigating why the man sent his hoax email, and are trying to determine if he suffers from mental problems. They declined to give more details on the case.
It is an offence to make calls or send messages with false claims regarding bomb threats. If convicted, the man could receive a maximum sentence of seven years in jail and a fine of US$28,744.
