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Woman tried to frame ex-boyfriend by giving false police tip-off on his work status

Singapore’s State Courts. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)
Singapore’s State Courts. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore)

Unhappy over a failed relationship, a woman called the police under a pseudonym and fed them a false “tip-off” that her ex-boyfriend was working in Singapore without a valid pass.

Singaporean Yong See See, 41, had stolen the work permit of her ex-boyfriend Huang Shuang Yue, a 34-year-old Chinese national, four days before reporting him to the police.

On Wednesday (24 January), Yong was fined the maximum $5,000 after she pleaded guilty to one count of giving false information to a police officer, causing the officer to start investigations against Huang.

Another count of stealing Huang’s belongings, including his work permit, driving license and cash amounting to $60, and one count of unlawful stalking of another man was taken into consideration for sentencing.

Huang, who has been in Singapore for some two years, was working at Kim Keat Link’s Giant Supermarket at the time of his ex-girlfriend’s offence.

Huang and Yong were dating but Huang broke off the relationship around 1 February 2017. On 14 February that year, Yong went to Huang’s house to talk to him. While Huang was showering, Yong stole his wallet, which contained his work permit, driver’s license and cash before leaving.

Huang made a police report the next day stating that Yong had stolen his belongings. The police later interviewed Yong, who denied stealing the items. She also said that Huang had mental problems and had lodged a police report out of anger.

On 19 February last year, a police officer from the Toa Payoh Neighbourhood Police Centre received a call from a woman identifying herself as “Mrs Liang”, who claimed that Huang was working at the Giant Supermarket outlet in Kim Keat Link without a valid permit. “Mrs Liang” said she was unacquainted with Huang and asked the police to check on him.

As a result of the call, the police investigated the claim and recorded Huang’s statement at the Giant Supermarket outlet a while later.

Yong maintained the lie in a statement given to the police later that afternoon and a separate statement on 3 August.

Investigations later revealed that Yong had made the call under the identity of “Mrs Liang”, knowing that the police would investigate Huang, whose permit she had stolen.

The prosecution sought a jail sentence of three weeks for Yong while her lawyer, Foo Cheow Ming, asked for a “significant fine”.

Foo described Yong’s actions as a “clumsy attempt to cause mischief” and that Yong has since learned a “painful lesson”. While a police team was activated to record Huang’s statement, no one had their good name “besmirched”, the lawyer added.

In sentencing Yong, District Judge Jasvender Kaur took into account Yong’s emotional state as it followed her recent breakup with Huang. The DJ noted that the false allegations against Huang could have been easily discovered and that there was no serious impact on Huang.

For giving the police false information, Yong could have been jailed up to one year, and/or fined $5,000.