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COVID-19: Man who breached SHN to buy chicken rice fined $4,500

The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)
The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — A 60-year-old man who breached his Stay-Home Notice (SHN) to buy chicken rice, mineral water and packet of cigarettes was on Wednesday (3 June) fined $4,500.

Zahari Samat had pleaded guilty to one charge under the Infectious Diseases Act last week.

Another count under the same Act was considered in sentencing.

Walked to ICA building

Zahari was issued with the SHN when he arrived at the Singapore Cruise Centre at about 10am on 1 April. Before his arrival, Zahari completed and submitted an online health declaration form on 31 March. He indicated his nephew’s address as his home address – this was also the address that was registered on Zahari’s identity card.

At the Singapore Cruise Centre, an ICA officer briefed the perpetrator on the requirements of his SHN and he acknowledged it. But Zahari then went to a home in North Bridge Road instead of the address which he had declared in his SHN.

The next afternoon, the culprit took a five-minute walk to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) Building and told two officers that he wanted to change the address on his NRIC and that he had provided a wrong address in his online declaration. He said he had just received an SMS from ICA asking him to report his location and only then realised his mistake.

The officers told Zahari to return to his North Bridge Road home and to remain there for the remainder of his SHN.

Left home for chicken rice

But a week later, Zahari left his home and walked to Textile Centre about 450 metres away to buy chicken rice and mineral water from a coffee shop on 8 April. He then went to a provision shop near Block 467 North Bridge Road to get a packet of cigarettes.

Afterwards, he walked to the open-air carpark near Block 10 North Bridge Road where he was arrested by officers from the Central Narcotics Bureau at about 4pm. The court was not told why he was arrested.

For his offence under the Infectious Diseases Act, Zahari could have been fined up to $10,000 and also jailed up to six months.

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