Man charged for attending social gathering during circuit breaker
SINGAPORE — A 38-year-old Singaporean man was charged in the State Courts on Friday (8 May) for attending a social gathering while circuit breaker measures were in effect.
Francis Soh Seng Chye, allegedly attended a social gathering at the residence of a person named Lye Bao Ru on 8 April. The gathering, which involved five other people from Lye’s household, lasted for about an hour, said the Ministry of Health in a press release on Friday.
According to Soh’s charge sheet, he attended the dinner gathering at a flat in Circuit Road between 7pm and 8pm a day after circuit breaker measures were implemented.
Soh’s is believed to be the first case involving an individual attending a social gathering at a private residence to have been taken to court.
He is said to have contravened the COVID-19 (Temporary Measures) (Control Order) Regulations 2020. Under the regulation, all social gatherings among individuals not living in the same place of residence are prohibited from 7 April to 1 June 2020.
Soh’s plead guilty mention has been fixed on 20 May. If convicted, he may be jailed up to six months, fined up to $10,000, or both.
Under the current circuit breaker regulations, all social gatherings among person not living in the same home have been prohibited until 1 June.
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