By now, you would surely have heard of the ‘tragic’ love story between Mr Hu Jun and Ms Shi Sha, a Chinese couple that was cruelly afflicted with the dreaded Covid-19 disease even before Covid-19 has a name.
But if you somehow haven’t heard of this modern, ‘twisted’ and virus-laced take on the age-old Romeo and Juliet trope, here’s a quick rundown:
For a start, Mr Hu Jun had arrived in Singapore on 22 Jan and subsequently tested positive for the virus on 31 Jan. However, he allegedly gave fake information to a health officer about his whereabouts.
Ms Shi Sha, on the other hand, was issued a quarantine order after her husband was ascertained to be a positive case. Instead of complying like the law-abiding Ah Sohs of Singapore, however, she allegedly flouted the rules and left their marital home in favour of a hotel…
Without telling anyone about it.
In addition, Ms Shi Sha also lied about the exact unit she resided in and about the location where she had hailed a taxi on the way to Singapore General Hospital (SGH).
And so, the authority had no other choice to but to slap the couple with multiple charges in court: they were charged with obstructing COVID-19 containment work, under the Infectious Diseases Act.
But that wasn’t the end.
Thereafter, the couple would go on to discharge a defence lawyer while attempting to avoid jail time, and accuse the Ministry Of Health of leaking ‘info’ to China.
And now, there has been another twist to the story.
Couple Who Lied to MOH Allowed to Return to China
Mr Hu Jun and Ms Shi Sha have been allowed to return to China before the next stage of their trial commences in January.
District Judge Ng Peng Hong approved the application, on the condition that they return before the trial.
Other underlying conditions were also set.
Although the prosecutor was vocally against the move, his argument was ultimately ruled out.
Defence lawyer Dhanwant Singh said that his clients wished to leave the country, and will return by 20 Jan next year, “well before the trial”.
He stated that his clients have been away from their home country since 22 Jan, and that it would be close to a full year by the next stage of the trial.
“It is the livelihood of Mr Hu Jun that is adversely affected,” he said. “He works as a financial adviser… he works in this line where he has been in charge of investments ranging to millions of dollars and (his presence in China) is crucial in the sense that personal touch with the clients is important.”
In addition, his career is purportedly at a “crossroads”, and his presence in China is a priority.
The pair have two children aged 4 and 10, and both are in China with the couple’s parents and in-laws.
As a result of the trial, Shi has been away from her children for “quite a number of months”.
Singh added that they would not abscond, as they are “still innocent until proven guilty” and “are too well-known to be away.”
“The whole of Singapore, your honour, the whole of Wuhan or the rest of China – in fact on the Internet – they are well-known about the case,” said Mr Singh.
However, he did suggest an increase of bail of up to S$30,000 each to make sure that they return.
Meanwhile, Deputy Public Prosecutor Timotheus Koh disagreed with the application, stating that the couple has no ties or roots in Singapore.
By that, we can take it to mean that the couple would not suffer any loss if they were to desert the country in its entirety.
“All we have is really the accused persons’ say that they will not abscond. This is not sufficient,” he said.
He also argued that there was insufficient evidence to suggest that Hu’s situation is “so dire that he has to save his employment and return to China”.
He further highlighted that when trial dates were initially set on 11 September, there was no indication by the defence that the pair had wanted to leave Singapore.
In the end, he stressed that Hu and Shi are “flight risks”, and it is “highly likely they will not return”.
The proposed increase of bail was also, according to him, insufficient.
Wife Promised to Come Back to Prove Their ‘Innocence’
Well, the wife has finally spoken.
In court, Shi stated via a Mandarin interpreter that they “have taken the proactive step to go to the hospital for testing and examination”.
“We have not infected anyone here in Singapore and we have been very cooperative in investigation. Therefore we will also very responsibly come back to Singapore,” said Shi.
She added that one of her children is four years of age, and had apparently undergone an operation recently.
“I miss my children a lot,” she said.
She added that he had taken her children to Singapore to receive education because she has “love for this land”.
“I will not do anything to damage it. We will definitely come back to prove our innocence,” she said.
The judge asked the couple’s bailors for their opinions. In response, Hu’s bailor expressed how Hu is “very established in China for a very big financial firm, so this case already has a very negative impact.”
“He has explained this to me and I am very happy to provide any assistance to make sure he comes back,” he said.
Shi’s bailor agreed, and trusts that Shi, whom he has known for two years, will return.
Granted
As you now know, Judge Ng ultimately approved of the application.
However, certain conditions were set.
For starters, bail was increased by S$80,000 each instead of the suggested S$30,000.
The couple must also designate travel itineraries and provide them to the Investigating Officer before they leave the country.
They are required to provide details of their residence, alongside their contact numbers, and remain reachable. They also have to give up their passports by 22 Jan 2021.
Incidentally, the prosecution ended its case in August this year.
If convicted, the couple may face penalties of up to six months’ jail, a maximum S$10,000 fine or both, for each charge.
You can read up more concise details on the case here, here and here.
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