Unvaccinated individual faces multiple charges for aggressive behavior and health protocol violations.
SINGAPORE: A 53-year-old man was charged on Friday (Jan 14) for allegedly assaulting two National Environment Agency (NEA) officers at Redhill Food Centre last year. Chua Soon Hean faces charges of causing hurt to public servants and violating COVID-19 health regulations by entering the hawker centre while unvaccinated.
According to court documents, Chua removed his face mask without a valid reason outside his residence. On the evening of October 23, Chua reportedly entered Redhill Food Centre and took off his face mask. At that time, Singapore’s regulations allowed only fully vaccinated individuals to dine in groups of two at hawker centres and coffee shops; unvaccinated individuals were permitted to purchase takeout.
Approximately 10 minutes after his entry, Chua allegedly punched one NEA officer in the neck and another in the face in an attempt to obstruct their duties. The officers had discovered that Chua was unvaccinated against COVID-19, which reportedly led to his agitation when questioned.
Chua is facing two charges for voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servants from performing their duties. If convicted, he could face a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, along with a fine or caning.
In addition, Chua could be sentenced to up to six months in jail or fined up to S$5,000 for entering Redhill Food Centre without proper vaccination status, which was a restricted area at the time. Furthermore, if found guilty of removing his mask outside his home, he could face an additional six months in prison, a fine of up to S$10,000, or both. Repeat offenders could see their penalties doubled.
