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COVID-19: Security officer and 2 others charged with breaching SHN

Singapore's State Courts seen on 21 April 2020. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)
Singapore's State Courts seen on 21 April 2020. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — Three Singaporean men, including one security officer who was based at Marina Bay Sands, were charged in the State Courts on Wednesday (13 May) for breaching their Stay-Home Notices (SHN).

All three men – Quresh Singh Sandhu, 27, Azhar Khamis, 54, and Zahari Samat, 60 – had returned to Singapore from Batam on separate occasions between 17 March and 1 April before being issued with SHNs.

If convicted of an offence under the Infectious Diseases Act and its Regulations, each man faces up to six month’ jail and/or a maximum fine of $10,000.

Quresh Singh Sandhu

Quresh arrived in Singapore from Batam on 17 March and was served with an SHN effective from 17 March to 31 March, according to the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA).

Instead of heading to his residence in Sembawang Drive, Quresh allegedly took public transport to Marina Bay Sands, where he worked as a security officer.

After leaving work on 18 March, he took public transport to his company’s lodging at Dunlop Street where he shared a room with three co-workers, said ICA. Between 19 March and 21 March, Quresh continued to commute daily to work via public transport.

His breach was discovered by ICA on 21 March, when enforcement officers visited his residence and found him missing.

According to his charge sheet, Quresh is accused of exposing others to the risk of infection by his presence, by visiting Little India MRT Station, Bayfront MRT Station, Marina Bay Sands, Rochor MRT Station and Snooze Inn at 28 Dunlop Street.

Quresh’s plead guilty mention has been fixed for 27 May.

Azhar Bin Khamis

ICA said that Azhar arrived from Batam on 26 March and was served with an SHN from 26 March to 9 April.

Instead of heading to his Tampines residence, Azhar allegedly spent the night with his sister in Serangoon.

On 27 March, he left his sister’s residence and spent the next few days in public areas at Harbourfront, according to ICA.

ICA officers visited Azhar’s Tampines residence on 5 April and found him absent. They located him at the Singapore Cruise Centre later that day.

Azhar faces one charge of failing to comply with the order without reasonable excuse. His case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on the 19 May.

Zahari Samat

Zahari arrived in Singapore from Batam on 1 April and was served with an SHN from 1 April to 15 April.

The ICA stated that Zahari then proceeded to a rental address at North Bridge Road, instead of his declared place of accommodation at Ang Mo Kio.

The next day, he went to the ICA Building to inform an officer that he had provided an outdated address in his declaration and wanted to update the address where he would serve his SHN. ICA officers told Zahari to return to his North Bridge Road residence and to remain there for the remainder of the SHN.

However Zahari left his residence again on 8 April and was arrested by Central Narcotics Bureau officers at an open air carpark nearby.

He faces one charge each of leaving his Ang Mo Kio residence to go to North Bridge Road and of later leaving his North Bridge Road residence without reasonable excuse.

Zahari is expected to plead guilty on 27 May.

The authorities made serving an SHN compulsory for all who entered Singapore from 11.59pm on 16 March and with a travel history to any ASEAN country within the past 14 days. The two-week SHN required individuals to stay at their declared residences at all times.

From 11.59pm on 20 March, the requirements were extended to all individuals entering Singapore. From 11.59pm on 9 April, all individuals entering Singapore were also required to serve their SHN at dedicated facilities.

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