A Singapore permanent resident has been fined $7,000 for lying that he would be serving his Stay-Home Notice (SHN) alone.
Ko Kyung Ho, 46, had returned to Singapore from South Korea to visit his family on 25 November 2020.
He falsely declared in his declaration form that he would be serving his SHN alone.
The following day, he was found together with his wife, two children, and nine movers by enforcement officers.
On Tuesday (29 Jun), he pleaded guilty to one charge of providing false information under the Infectious Diseases Act.
During sentencing, one charge of allowing movers into his home while he was serving his SHN was also considered.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Joshua Lim, Ko was working in South Korea during the time of offence. He would visit his family residing in Singapore several times a year.
On 25 November 2020, Ko arrived in Singapore and was told that he would have to serve an SHN either at a dedicated facility or at his declared location of residence.
He chose to serve his SHN at home. The immigration officer then told him that he could only serve his SHN at home under specific conditions that were stipulated in a declaration form.
Ko had acknowledged the said declaration form.
The conditions included being able to serve an SHN at his declared place of residence only if he was living alone or with household members who shared the same travel history as him and were also serving their notice for the same period.
As stipulated by the conditions, Ko should have made certain that he was not staying with anyone who did not have the same history of travel as him.
He was informed that failing to adhere to these conditions would result in prosecution under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Engaged Movers to Transport Belongings of Family Members To SHN Residence
It was found that Ko and his wife had asked a house-moving company in late October to transport their belongings from their old place of residence to the address that Ko had noted down in his declaration form.
The move was scheduled for the morning of 26 November.
According to DPP Lim, Ko did not tell the immigration officer that his wife and children were moving in to stay with him the following day.
He also did not obtain authorisation to engage the services of movers while still serving his SHN.
DPP Lim added that Ko understood English, having studied the language at Stanford University in the US.
Enforcement officers then visited Ko’s declared area of residence on the afternoon of 26 November.
They found Ko with his family in the living room. They also found movers carrying furniture and other household items into the house.
The movers did not know that Ko was serving his SHN. They were ordered to stop work by the officers.
Ko was then transferred to the Intercontinental Hotel to complete the rest of his SHN.
According to the prosecutor, Ko’s case was one that constituted a low degree of harm, as well as a low level of culpability as he had returned home immediately after arriving in Singapore and interacted only with his family members.
Defence lawyer Adrian Wee sought a lowered fine of S$7,000 as opposed to DPP Lim’s proposed fine of S$10,000 on the grounds that Ko had previously served his SHN with his family and was ready to do so again.
However, “the rules had changed by the time he returned to Singapore in November”.
Mr Wee added that Ko had no intention to deceive anyone and he “was not blind to the transmission of the disease”.
He further stated that Ko had not left his home to go out after his arrival in Singapore. He had even communicated with the enforcement officers behind the sliding doors of his balcony.
Ko could have received a fine of up to S$10,000 or imprisonment up to six months, or both, for his offence.
Feature Image: rangizzz / Shutterstock.com
Watch this for a complete summary of what REALLY happened to Qoo10, and why it's like a K-drama:
Read Also:
- 21YO Stabbed Actor Ryan Lian in The Face At Least 3 Times
- Summary of What Really Happened to Qoo10, Simplified for You
- 62-Year-Old Tampines Man Found Dead After Missing Daily “Good Morning” Messages
- 5 Places In S’pore To Get Christmas-Themed Cakes Under S$80
- Mister Donut Launching Pikachu & Poké Ball Donuts From 1 Dec 2024 To 19 Jan 2025
- Vietnamese Married S’porean to Get Long-Term Pass, But Wanted a Divorce When Pass Was Not Approved
- Summary of the Places to Count Down to 2025 in S’pore
Advertisements
