SINGAPORE - An Indian national is expected to be charged on Wednesday (May 13) after making false declarations about his travel history in order to enter the Supreme Court.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, the Singapore Police Force and the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) said that the 47-year-old man faces two charges under the Penal Code of providing false information to a public servant.
As part of Covid-19 precautionary measures, the Supreme Court requires all visitors to declare their travel history over the past 14 days.
Investigations found that on March 31 and April 1, the man is said to have declared that he had not been abroad in the past 14 days and was therefore allowed to enter the court, when he had actually arrived in Singapore from the United States on March 20, which was within the 14-day period.
This means that he had made a false travel declaration.
Anyone found guilty of knowingly providing false information can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both.
If the man is convicted, he will also be deported after serving his sentence and barred from re-entering Singapore.
Earlier on April 26, a British national, who is married to a Singapore permanent resident, was deported after he falsely declared his travel history at the Family Justice Courts.
The 60-year-old man had visited the Family Justice Courts on March 25 to pick up a document. He was asked to declare his travel history as part of precautionary measures for the Covid-19 outbreak.
He said he had not been abroad in the last 14 days and was allowed to enter, when he had in fact arrived in Singapore from Hong Kong on March 13, which was within the 14-day travel history period.
The police and ICA said on April 26 that they had issued the man a stern warning, and barred him from re-entering Singapore for providing false information to a public servant.
The authorities remind members of the public to take all health and travel declarations seriously and to submit accurate information.
They warn that action will be taken against those found to have made false declarations.
