Skip to main content
Home The New Paper
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team

Popular

  • COURT & CRIME
  • Food & Drink
Singapore

Cleaner jailed for 12 weeks after flouting quarantine order

Former lawyer jailed for taking photos of colleague's chest, underwear
Kok Yufeng
Dec 09, 2020 06:00 am
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • 0 Engagements

He was a cleaner at a shopping mall and his colleague tested positive for Covid-19.

Because of this, Soh Poh Tiong, 65, was told to go home and not report to work until further notice.

But for three days, Ministry of Health (MOH) officers were unable to serve a home quarantine order on him as he was not at his flat in Ang Mo Kio.

Even after the order was served, Soh repeatedly breached it, travelling to public places all over Singapore out of sheer boredom, and spending hours on public buses.

Yesterday, he was jailed for 12 weeks after pleading guilty to three offences under the Infectious Diseases Act. Five similar charges were taken into consideration by District Judge Brenda Tan during sentencing.

Soh was employed as a cleaner by Clean Solutions and stationed at Northpoint City mall in Yishun. On April 25, a cluster of seven cases were linked to the mall and by May 9, there were 18 cases, including two cleaners.

The youth bought a tactical vest and had picked out a machete on Carousell, but he was detained before he could buy it.
Singapore

S'porean, 16, planned copycat attack on two mosques here

Jan 28, 2021

Related Stories

Ex-TTSH staff jailed for withdrawing cash wrongly credited to her

Retail consultant jailed for selling details of Singtel customers

Company director, consultant charged with cheating PA, IMDA of $77,000

Soh reported to work on May 10 and was told to go home. MOH officers were only able to serve him a quarantine order on May 13. Soh was required to remain isolated at home until May 22 and expressly told not to leave the premises, even to buy food.

But for eight consecutive days between May 14 and May 22, he went for walks and visited bus interchanges in Clementi, Tampines and Harbourfront, as well as Toa Payoh Hub, where he interacted with staff at a public office to pay bills.

Soh spent most of his time outside on public transport. On three of the eight days, his EZ-Link card records showed he spent more than 10 hours on public buses each day.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Kee said it was purely fortuitous that Soh did not contract Covid-19.

While he acknowledged that Soh had worn a mask, the DPP said Soh's acts were irresponsible and undermined the efforts to combat the virus' spread.

Noting that Soh was fully aware he was a direct close contact of a positive case, DPP Kee said his culpability was the highest among known offenders who had flouted quarantine orders.

Soh, who was unrepresented, said he had "no other choice".

He said in mitigation that when he was unemployed previously, he did not stay at home either. "Being alone is very boring," he said in Mandarin.

For each of his offences, Soh could have been fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to six months, or both.

Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now

COURT & CRIME

Kok Yufeng

yufengk@sph.com.sg
Read articles by Kok Yufeng
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • E-mail this article
  • Newslink -  Purchase this article for republication

Top Stories this Month

Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
After one year of Covid in Singapore: Case 38
Singapore

A year on, recovered virus patient still can't taste or smell

Jan 22, 2021
Let’s cancel Chinese New Year
Lifestyle

Let's cancel Chinese New Year

Jan 25, 2021
Home
  • Contests
  • Coupon
  • Team
  • Home
  • News
    • Singapore
    • World
    • Business
    • Views
    • Backstage
    • Others
  • Sports
    • Football
    • Singapore Football
    • Team Singapore
    • School Sports
    • Athletics
    • Basketball
    • Cricket
    • Swimming
    • Tennis
    • Golf
    • Racing
    • Others
  • Entertainment
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Star Style
    • School of Frock
  • Lifestyle
    • Makan
    • Hed Chef
    • Weets Eats
    • Health
    • Tech
    • Travel
    • Fashion
    • Shopping
    • Biker Boy
    • Celeb Chow
    • Others
  • Racing
  • Your Tip-Offs
  • Read E-Paper
  • Contact TNP
  • About SPH
  • Privacy Statement
  • Data Protection Policy
  • Member Terms & Conditions
  • Website Terms & Conditions
SPH Digital News Copyright © 2021 Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Co. Regn No. 198402868E