Man uses friend’s TraceTogether token to enter malls, offers bribes for him to abscond to thwart police probe

SINGAPORE — When a man’s Covid-19 vaccination status was not reflected on his TraceTogether token, he used a friend’s token to enter shopping malls and buy food.

Yang Fei’s friend Wan Meng subsequently reported him to the police. Yang, fearful of the repercussions, then tried to bribe the other man with S$100 and a pack of cigarettes so he would flee Singapore and derail investigations.

Mr Wan recorded their conversation and returned to the police to report Yang for corruption. Both men hail from China.

Yang was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Friday (Sept 9).

The 27-year-old pleaded guilty to intending to pervert the course of justice last year, when only fully vaccinated persons were allowed to enter malls under Covid-19 vaccination-differentiated safe management measures.

These measures were eased in April this year, with most places no longer requiring SafeEntry check-ins with the TraceTogether application or token.

The prosecution said on Friday that Mr Wan will be dealt with at a later date. No further details were given.

DID NOT UPDATE RECORDS

The court heard that Yang was in Singapore on a work permit and was already inoculated against the coronavirus with the Sinovac vaccine. His employers from semiconductor firm Fuxiang Technology also helped him to get a TraceTogether token.

However, he could not enter certain places because he was vaccinated overseas and his status was not reflected in his TraceTogether.

All he had to do was translate his vaccination certificate, go to a healthcare provider to perform a serology test and update his vaccination records in the National Immunisation Registry. He failed to do this.

After some time, Yang decided to return to his home country. He began serving a two-week isolation from Dec 13, 2021 as required by the Chinese authorities.

Because he was allowed to leave isolation to get food, he met Mr Wan, a 19-year-old fellow China national, the next day and used the younger man’s TraceTogether token to enter Marina Bay Sands mall.

Mr Wan entered using the TraceTogether application on his mobile phone.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En told the court that Yang could have tried to use his own TraceTogether token along with the paper proof of his vaccination.

Yang then continued using Mr Wan’s token several times to enter Hougang One shopping mall, which was next to the condominium complex he was isolating at.

When he did not pick up Mr Wan’s calls, Mr Wan lodged a police report saying Yang had taken his TraceTogether token.

The police then questioned Yang that same evening and told him he was being investigated for possible offences of cheating by personation.

'ACT PITIFUL'

Shortly after, on Christmas Day in 2021, Mr Wan suggested that they could both run away.

Yang tried to bribe him with cigarettes and S$100, saying that he should escape to Malaysia and get to China where the Singapore authorities had no jurisdiction.

However, Mr Wan then refused to run away because he felt that he had not broken the law.

He said that Yang should be the one absconding to Malaysia, not him, but Yang responded that it would be easier for Mr Wan to do so. He then attempted to give Mr Wan the cash and cigarettes.

When Mr Wan pushed the items away, Yang foisted them on him, saying investigations could not proceed if one of them was missing.

He added that if the police found him again, he would “act pitiful”.

“I will say my parents at home are sick or whatever nonsense," Yang said.

Mr Wan used his phone to record their conversation and immediately went to Hougang Neighbourhood Police Centre to report the incident.

The police then called Yang up for questioning about two weeks later. He claimed that the S$100 was a loan and that he had given Mr Wan his “old cigarettes” after the latter said he needed a smoke.

Yang also denied asking his friend to leave Singapore.

For attempting to pervert the course of justice, he could have been fined or jailed for up to seven years, or punished with both.