SINGAPORE, June 6 — A 78-year-old man was hauled to court yesterday for allegedly hindering the authorities’ attempts to serve a quarantine order on him, while telling several officers that he had seen a doctor.
Chew Suang Heng, a Singaporean, faces five charges under the Infectious Diseases Act. Quarantine orders are served on those suspected to have come into contact with a Covid-19 case.
To date, Chew is the first to be charged with hindering or obstructing any person exercising their power under the Act, in relation to the Covid-19 pandemic.
He had been ordered by the Dr Kenneth Mak, director of medical services with the Ministry of Health (MOH), to be isolated in his Hougang flat from February 17 to 28.
On February 18, a Certis Cisco auxiliary officer turned up at his flat to serve the order on him but he was not there.
The officer then called Chew on his mobile phone and asked that he return home.
However, court documents stated that Chew allegedly ended the call after saying that he had been cleared by his doctor and did not need to be quarantined.
Later that day at about 10pm, he told another Certis Cisco officer over the phone that he had seen his family doctor and was “fit” and did not have a fever or flu.
He also allegedly questioned the second officer on why he had to be quarantined and said that it was his “private thing”, while refusing to reveal his whereabouts. He then ended the call and did not return home.
When the officer contacted him once more, Chew told him not to call again and ended the call.
At about 11am the next day, a third Certis Cisco officer showed up at Chew’s flat but again, he was not home.
Chew purportedly told that officer similar things over a phone call, saying that he would call back later when the officer asked him to return home. He did not do so.
A quarantine order was then served on Chew’s wife around 2.30pm that day.
When his wife told him about the requirements of the order and asked him to return home, he again failed to do so.
Court documents did not state where he was on all those occasions.
Yesterday, prosecutor Andre Tan for MOH asked for bail of S$15,000 (RM45,999) to be offered and for Chew’s passport to be surrendered to his investigation officer.
“On multiple occasions, he resisted the service of a quarantine order by various officers. The AGC (Attorney-General’s Chambers) requested bail to be set to secure his attendance at court proceedings,” Tan said.
Chew’s lawyer, who said that his client wants to plead guilty, opposed this but District Judge Adam Nakhoda said that he was inclined to impose bail next week. The judge gave Chew time until then to find a bailor.
District Judge Nakhoda also told Tan to inform the accused persons or their representatives in advance if they are seeking bail to be imposed, especially as Chew “is quite elderly”.
Chew will return to court on June 12.
If convicted of hindering the officers, he can be jailed up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
The same penalty applies to those convicted of failing to remain isolated in their place of residence. — TODAY
