Doctor jailed for switching HIV-positive blood with his own
A Singaporean doctor who submitted his own blood sample in place of his HIV-positive boyfriend's to help the American get an employment pass here has been sentenced to two years in jail.
Ler Teck Siang, 36, is appealing against his conviction and sentence on two charges each for abetment of cheating and for giving a false statement to a public servant. The prosecution has also appealed against the sentence.
In September, Ler was found guilty of helping Mikhy Farrera-Brochez deceive the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) into issuing him an employment pass in March 2008 and allowing him to keep the pass in November 2013.
Ler was also found guilty of lying to the Ministry of Health in December 2013 and the police in January 2014.
District Judge Luke Tan's grounds for his decision were published yesterday.
Farrera-Brochez, 33, who was a polytechnic lecturer here, was sentenced to 28 months in jail last year for offences including cheating and possession of drugs.
He moved to Singapore after meeting Ler online.
In March 2008, the American took an HIV test at a Singapore Anti-Tuberculosis Association clinic using a fake Bahamian passport. He tested positive.
The prosecution said the pair knew foreigners with HIV are not allowed to work here and hatched a plan to get an employment pass.
Farrera-Brochez went to the clinic where Ler was working for a medical test.
The blood with his name came from Ler. It tested negative and Farrera-Brochez was issued an employment pass.
In October 2013, when MOM was going to cancel Farrera-Brochez's employment pass, he successfully used the same ruse.
Ler initially maintained to the police that the blood sample was Farrera-Brochez's.
But in two statements in May 2016, he confessed that he had substituted his blood for Farrera-Brochez's.
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