Indian-origin man charged with COVID-19 related offences in Singapore
Singapore, Apr 22 () A 52-year-old Indian-origin man was charged on Wednesday in Singapore with various COVID-19 related offences, including stepping out of the house to socialise, wearing a mask improperly and repeatedly threatening enforcement officers, according to a media report.
Ravi Sinathamby Subramaniam, was given eight charges, including criminal intimidation, using abusive words against a public servant and offences under the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020, Channel News Asia reported on Wednesday
The offences occurred over two days last week, charge sheets state.
On April 14, Subramaniam allegedly met a person to socialise in front of Apartment Block 74 in public housing estate.
After this, he is said to have become drunk and went to a nearby minimart at the same block, where he conducted himself in a manner causing annoyance to a police sergeant, the report said.
He also abused the police officer.
The second set of offence took place on April 18.
Subramaniam is accused of wearing his mask improperly, only over his chin and did not cover his nose and mouth, while at the coffee shop at Apartment Block 81 in the same public housing estate.
It was around lunch time when he allegedly abused a safe distancing enforcement officer at the coffee shop.
Ten minutes later, he abused a second officer there to enforce safe distancing, the court documents said.
He then threatened this officer by saying: "Don't let me see you again, if not I will break your face."
Charge sheets stated that Subramaniam repeated this threat to both officers.
He intends to return to the court to plead guilty on April 29.
For meeting a person who did not live with him for any social purpose, he can be jailed for up to six months, fined a maximum SGD 10,000, or both.
The penalties are the same for not wearing a mask over his nose and mouth at all times outside his home.
For conducting himself in a drunken manner in a public place and causing annoyance, he can be jailed for up to six months, fined a maximum SGD 1,000, or both if it is his first offence.
He can be jailed for up to a year, fined a maximum SGD 5,000, or both for cursing at a public servant, according to the Channel report. GS AMS