Man on stay-home notice charged after leaving home to settle personal matters with friend
Foo Ching Guan was charged for breaching his stay-home notice to meet a friend.
SINGAPORE — A 32-year-old man was charged in court on Friday (April 17) after he allegedly breached the conditions of his stay-home notice by meeting a friend to settle personal matters.
Foo Ching Guan, who travelled from Thailand to Singapore on March 17, is the third man to face the music for flouting the rules of the 14-day notice that have been issued to people returning from abroad to prevent further importation of Covid-19 cases.
The Singaporean’s stay-home notice was supposed to end on March 31, but he apparently left his home at Kreta Ayer Road in Chinatown on March 29 and took a private-hire vehicle to Sengkang Central, where he met a friend to settle some personal matters.
His charge sheet stated that he left his home at 4am that day to meet someone named Lee Quan Hui.
Foo faces one charge under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 — Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.
He told District Judge Terence Tay that he intends to plead guilty.
If convicted, he may be fined up to S$10,000, jailed up to six months, or be punished with both.
In a statement on Thursday, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) reiterated that it would not hesitate to take firm enforcement action against those who breach the requirements of their stay-home notices.
Aside from prosecuting offenders under the Infectious Diseases Act, the agency may also cancel their immigration facilities where applicable, it added.
The Government had announced that from 11.59pm on March 16, all residents, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors entering Singapore with a travel history to any country in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) would be given a 14-day stay-home notice to minimise the spread of Covid-19.
This rule was later extended to all residents, long-term pass holders and short-term visitors entering Singapore from 11.59pm on March 20, regardless of their travel history.
Individuals serving a stay-home notice must remain in their residence at all times.
Foo will return to court on April 23 for a further mention of his case.
He remains out on S$5,000 bail.
