On May 8, 2020, during the circuit breaker period, a couple residing at Compassvale Crescent in Sengkang invited eight men and eight women to their place of residence for a social gathering.
The 18 individuals, who are aged 18 to 37, were charged in court between July 22 and 24.
Homeowner fined S$5,000
Homeowner Leong Chee Mun, 37, had pleaded guilty to an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, according to The Straits Times.
Court reporting by ST revealed that the defence counsel had pleaded for a S$4,000 fine, arguing that the gathering was a private event and was not in full view of the public.
Leong was fined S$5,000 on Friday (Sep. 11).
For each charge under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures) Act, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to S$10,000.
A repeat offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to S$20,000.
Leong's former fiancee, 32-year-old Cassie Ong Shi Hong, who co-hosted the gathering, was fined S$4,000 on Aug. 26.
Guests were also fined
10 of the guests, who are all Singaporeans, have been fined so far:
- Felisa Chua Jia Xuan, 23
- Poh Yang Ting, 21
- Priscilia Tan Sze Hui, 32
- Low Wei Hao, 25
- Jackson Tan Chia Ho, 30
- Nicman Lim Wei Fong, 25
- Jasmin Tan Ee Lin, 30
- Kho Zi Ting, 27
- Peh Si Qin, 22 and
- Chee Min Hui, 27
Jackson Tan and Jasmin Tan were fined S$3,000, while the rest were fined S$2,500 each.
The remaining six guests (five Singaporeans and one permanent resident) have yet to be dealt with, ST reported.
They include:
- Moey Kai Yi, 18
- Jasper Tan Zhi Hong, 25
- Cavin Liow Jun Rong, 20
- Chua Jie Kun, 29
- Mandy Tan Yi Xing, 26
- Thant Thaw Kuang, 19 (Singapore PR)
Details of the gathering
Previous court reporting by The Straits Times, CNA and Yahoo Singapore had revealed the facts pertaining to the incident.
Out of the 18 people in the flat, 14 of them began arriving from 9pm that day, with the last guest arriving at 1:15am on May 9.
The two earliest guests (Jackson Tan and Jasmin Tan, according to ST) visited the flat around 6am that day to have breakfast.
The group had been eating, drinking alcohol, playing games and watching Netflix.
A neighbour called the police at 2am to report a gathering of young people in the flat, and even claimed that this had been happening almost every night.
Police arrived at the flat at about 2:28am.
There were multiple pairs of footwear outside the front door.
People laughing and chatting inside the unit could be heard.
The police also heard shushing sounds emanating from the inside.
The officer rang the doorbell repeatedly and waited several minutes before Leong responded.
Leong claimed that he had been sleeping and that he and his fiancee were the only ones around.
The police officer called his bluff and responded that he heard multiple voices.
Leong then admitted there were eight to 10 people in the flat.
The officer eventually found 18 people.
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