US pilot, 2 S’poreans charged in court with breaching stay-home orders
American commercial pilot Brian Dugan Yeargan was one of three people charged in court yesterday with breaching their stay-home notice (SHN) or stay order in separate incidents.
The two others are Singaporeans Chong Chun Wah, 47, and Siti Wan Su'Aidah Samsuri, 25.
Yeargan is accused of an offence under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020.
The 44-year-old arrived here from Australia on April 3 and was issued with a 30-day short-term visit pass.
He was also served with a stay order and was not supposed to go out until last Friday.
Despite this, he allegedly left his room at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport hotel on April 5 and took an MRT train to City Hall station.
CHINATOWN POINT
He is said to have then walked to Chinatown Point shopping centre to buy some personal items, spending about three hours in all outside.
Chong had arrived in Singapore from Indonesia on March 17 and was served with a stay-home notice, the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said in a statement on Monday. Although he was to remain in his Bukit Batok flat from then until March 31, he allegedly went out on three occasions.
He is said to have taken a bus to Jurong East on March 24 to buy some food, spending up to 90 minutes outside.
Four days later, he allegedly left his home for about five minutes to check his letterbox on the ground floor of his block. The next day, he allegedly went to a nearby coffee shop, spending up to 45 minutes outside.
He was yesterday handed two charges under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020 and a charge under the Infectious Diseases Act.
Siti, who is accused of one charge each under the Infectious Diseases (Covid-19 - Stay Orders) Regulations 2020 and the Infectious Diseases (Measures to Prevent Spread of Covid-19) Regulations 2020, arrived from Australia on March 25. Her stay-home notice stated she had to remain indoors until April 8.
But on March 30, she allegedly left her Woodlands home and walked to Vista Point mall to buy cigarettes and some groceries.
In its statement, ICA said: "During this period, she failed to respond to multiple calls made to her mobile phone by ICA as part of enforcement checks. She spent approximately 15 to 20 minutes outside."
Yesterday, the two men indicated that they intend to plead guilty. They were each offered $5,000 bail.
Yeargan will be back in court tomorrow, while Chong's matter has been adjourned until May 8.
Siti was also offered $5,000 bail and has had her case adjourned to May 8.
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