10 People to be Charged For Gathering During Phase Two; Got ‘Sabo’ Due to Noise Pollution

We’re used to hearing stories about how people got charged while gathering during the Circuit Breaker Period or during Phase One.

But stories about people getting charged during Phase Two, when it’s such a commonplace that you wonder if we’re in Phase Ten or Phase Two?

So far, nothing…until today.

Police: 28 People Will be Charged

In a statement by the people in blue, 28 people will be charged with flouting safe distancing regulations by holding and attending social gatherings, and it comprises two groups.

The first group was caught holding a party during Circuit Breaker period *yawns*, as a couple living in Compassvale Crescent invited eight men and eight women *yawns* to their home for a social gathering. Those people went to the house between 9:30am on 8 May 2020 and 1am on 9 May 2020.

God knows why they’ve decided to do that when back then, the rules were as clear as crystal.

The 16 people who went to the house would be charged with violating restrictions by leaving their place of residence without a valid reason, while the couple *yawns* will be charged with violating the restrictions on permitting other individuals to enter their place of residence without a valid reason.

And of course, all of them will be charged *yawns* with violating the prohibition on social gatherings under Covid-19 regulations.

But come Phase Two, social gathering is permitted, so how did the second group commit the offence?

One word: the five-per-group rule.

Reader Bao: That’s a lot of words

It’s still five or below.

At about 12:50am on 28 June, the police received a noise pollution complaint at Block 42 Beo Crescent.

It turned out that 13 people had gathered at a fitness corner near the block, and they were obviously not exercising but gathering because portable tables and chairs had been set up and bottles of liquor were found.

Instead of charging all 13 of them, only 10 of them were charged for “violating restrictions on leaving their place of residence without a valid reason and for violating the prohibition on social gatherings of more than five persons under the Covid-19 regulations.”

This gets a tad confusing because

1. I thought we don’t need to have a valid reason to leave our house now?
2. The police failed their maths?

Well, don’t be.

Firstly, 3 of them were given a 12-month conditional warning, and one of them is a 14-year-old boy. It’s unknown if they are all underage, which brings us to the next point: consuming liquor at a public place after 10:30pm is an offence, too, so those people might be charged for that, too.

Also, two others will be dealt with “separately for breaching the Covid-19 regulations, as they are currently also being investigated for other unrelated offences.”

In other words, it’s not that simple lah. You’d have to wait for their court hearing to know more about what actually went on.

But still, don’t try the system by walking in a group of six into a police station to make funny faces. The men and women in blue warned that they will not hesitate to take action against anyone who does not comply with safe distancing measures.

Reader Bao: Making funny faces is an offence?

I give up.