Woman jailed for forging more than 14 MCs, failing to turn up for urine tests while on drug supervision

SINGAPORE: A woman who was placed under drug supervision after taking drugs did not turn up for her urine tests as she kept the requirements from her new employer and was juggling long work hours.

When a friend offered to help her obtain forged medical certificates (MCs) to excuse her absence from the drug supervision sessions, she took up the offer, and subsequently turned to forged MCs when she became pregnant and when the father of her child became bedridden in a motorcycle accident.

For one count of failing to report for urine tests without valid reason when she was under a drug supervision order and two counts of using forged MCs, Indonesian national Syabariah was jailed 26 weeks on Wednesday (Aug 12).

The 28-year-old Singapore permanent resident pleaded guilty to the offences, with other four charges taken into consideration.

She had been sent to a drug rehabilitation centre for consuming drugs in 2017, and was placed under drug supervision for two years in 2018.

She was required to turn up for a urine test at a police station every Monday and Thursday.

However, she did not show up for the tests five times between Dec 13, 2018 and Jan 4, 2019.

When she reported for her urine test on Jan 17, 2019, she produced five medical certificates purportedly issued by five doctors.

However, these were found to be forgeries, and Syabariah continued failing to present herself for urine tests on nine occasions between January and early March last year.

She turned up for her urine test on Mar 11 last year and gave the officer nine MCs, but they were again forged documents.

In total, she failed to turn up for her urine tests 21 times and had no valid reasons for doing so.

The prosecutor asked for at least seven months' jail, a term that defence lawyer Ng Shi Yang agreed with.

SHE DID THE OFFENCES AS A CONSEQUENCE OF HER CIRCUMSTANCES: LAWYER

Mr Ng said that his client fully admits her conduct and wrongdoing, but did so "as a consequence of her circumstances in life".

He said Syabariah had begun working as a wedding stylist, clocking long hours, and was fearful that she would be dismissed if the company found out that she was under drug supervision.

She attended the supervision sessions only when her work schedule allowed, and was unable to meet the requirements, which led to an enhancement of her regime by the Central Narcotics Bureau.

A friend's friend who had romantic feelings for her offered to provide her with forged MCs to explain her absence from urine testing, and Syabariah took up the offer without any exchange of money, said Mr Ng.

In February 2019, Syabariah discovered that she was pregnant with the child of her now-husband. She initially wanted to abort the child at his request, but confided in her friends, who claimed that she would be sent back to a drug rehabilitation centre if she was found pregnant during her drug supervision period.

Fearing this, she decided to skip supervision entirely and obtained more forged MCs, said Mr Ng. He said she was not consuming drugs, as she was motivated not to do so as it would harm her unborn child.

Subsequently, the father of Syabariah's child was involved in a motorcycle accident with a cement lorry and seriously injured. 

He was left bedridden and unable to care for himself, and has since undergone more than 10 major medical procedures, said Mr Ng. He also faces upcoming surgery on his lower body in a bid to regain his mobility.

This has caused Syabariah to become the primary caregiver for her husband and child, whom she is still breastfeeding. 

She has been unable to work because of this, and relies on financial services from the Ministry of Social and Family Development.

Her "demanding caretaking duties" also led to further absences from the urine testing.

"We say her case deserves sympathy," said the lawyer. "Her liability cannot be overlooked, and the means in which she chose to explain her absences are also unacceptable and illegal. Nevertheless, her failure to turn up arose from a desire to retain a hard-earned and cherished opportunity as well as an unfortunate decision to heed a friend's misguided advice."

He added that Syabariah's family situation has taken a turn for the worse as her mother was diagnosed a week earlier with stage 4 lung cancer.

Syabariah hopes to have her case done with as she has to care for her family and this is her first time stepping into a court to face penal offences.

"She is determined to make good on her life after her release from prison," said Mr Ng.

DESPITE TRAGEDIES, FORGERY IS SERIOUS: JUDGE

District Judge Marvin Bay said he noted "the tragic reversals" in Syabariah's life, but said that forgeries of MCs ought to be taken especially seriously.

This is so as the recipient of an MC commonly presumes that the illness or health condition stated in the certificate truly exists.

"Deterrent sentences should therefore be imposed when such forgeries are presented as genuine, especially if the purpose is to subvert the drug supervision process," he said, imposing a slightly shorter jail term than asked for.

For failing to turn up for her urine tests, Syabariah could have been jailed for up to four years, fined up to S$10,000, or both.

For using a forged document as genuine, she could have been jailed for up to four years, fined, or both.