Youth injured in attack lied to cop about his identity as he had failed to report for NS enlistment
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SINGAPORE - A teenager lied about his identity to a police officer following a knife attack on him as he was afraid the authorities would find out that he had not reported for national service (NS) enlistment.
Aminin Amin Sham Simon, who was 19 at the time of the incident in 2023, repeated the lies to staff at the National University Hospital (NUH) where he was treated for multiple injuries.
After the truth emerged, the hospital had to pay its information technology team $10,000 to have his actual identity rectified in its system.
On Feb 12, Aminin, now 20, pleaded guilty to one count each of cheating by personation and giving false information to a public servant.
Without revealing details, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jun Kai told the court that the youth was supposed to report to the Central Manpower Base of the Singapore Armed Forces for his enlistment, but did not do so.
Around midnight on Dec 6, 2023, Aminin met a group of people for a “settlement talk” over an undisclosed matter. Details about the location of the meeting were not stated in court documents.
Three members of the group later ganged up against Aminin and two of them each used a knife to attack him.
One of them used a bread knife to slash him three times on his back and buttocks, while another assailant slashed his left arm once.
A third person kicked Aminin, said the prosecutor.
After an eyewitness alerted the police to the incident, a station inspector arrived at the scene and asked Aminin for his National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) around 1am.
The youth said he did not have it with him and offered to provide the details verbally. He then proceeded to give the officer another man’s name and NRIC number.
Court documents did not disclose how Aminin knew such information about the man.
An ambulance took Aminin to NUH where he repeated the false information about his identity.
The lies were exposed when an investigation officer later conducted a check on the man whom Aminin had pretended to be. Aminin was charged in court in 2024.
On Feb 12, the court called for a report to assess his suitability for probation.
He will be sentenced in April.
Shaffiq Alkhatib is The Straits Times’ court correspondent, covering mainly criminal cases heard at the State Courts.