On Jan. 28,  the Ministry of Health (MOH) confirms that confidential information of 14,200 individuals diagnosed with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) along with 2,400 others culled from contact tracing have been leaked online illegally.

The unauthorised person who is in possession of such details is American Mikhy K Farrera Brochez.

Farrera Brochez, who is HIV-positive, lived in Singapore between January 2008 and June 2016.

His boyfriend, Singaporean Ler Teck Siang, who was the ex-Head of MOH’s National Public Health Unit (NPHU), was found guilty last year in 2018 of swapping out Farrera Brochez's blood sample for his own.

This was to ensure Farrera Brochez was able to get an employment pass, deceiving the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) regarding his HIV status.

Ler had access to the HIV Registry for his work.

Farrera Brochez was remanded in prison in 2016 for numerous fraud and drug-related offences, including this particular incident.

This case would resurface two years later, as it was revealed that Farrera Brochez was in possession of the information, and confirmed that they were leaked online in 2019.

Timeline of events

Below is a summary of events leading up to the disclosure of information:

May 2016: MOH lodged a police report against Farrera Brochez after learning that he has confidential information from the HIV Registry. MOH searched his property and seized all relevant materials.

Ler confessed he had swapped his blood sample for Farrera Brochez's.

May 2018: MOH learned that Farrera Brochez still had the information from 2016 but had not disclosed them. MOH lodged another police report and contacted the affected individuals to inform them about the leak.

Jan. 22, 2019: MOH was notified by the police that Farrera Brochez has more information from the HIV registry and these were leaked online.

In total, details of 14,200 HIV-infected persons in Singapore, as well as 2,400 of their contacts were stolen and leaked online. The records belong to 5,400 Singaporeans diagnosed with HIV up to January 2013, as well as 8,800 foreigners diagnosed up to 2011.

Jan. 23, 2019: MOH made a police report.

Jan. 24, 2019: MOH confirmed that the leaked information matched the HIV Registry's records up to January 2013.

Jan 25, 2019: MOH worked with the relevant parties to disable access to the information that was leaked online.

MOH is in the process of contacting those who have been affected; members of the public not to circulate the information if they come across it online.

Top image via Pixabay