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SINGAPORE – While at a funeral on Circuit Road, 13 members of a secret society reportedly chanted gang slogans to show their affiliation with the group.
This happened on April 5 of this year, just before the circuit breaker went into effect on April 7.
At that time, safe distancing measures had already been put in place, limiting meetings to 10 people.
Twelve of them were charged in court Wednesday (September 9) with one count each of violating safe distancing measures for the incident.
They also face charges for being members of an illegal society.
Two of them cannot be named because they are under 18 years of age.
The other 10 are Alvin Mo Boon Heng, 35; Baey Xin Yu, 25; Don Tham, 25; Eugine Lee Eng Qin, 19; Julian Kuah Jun Hong, 19; Luo Jun Yuan, 24; Tay Wee Keong, 24; Yu Wei Jie, 22; Cedric Teo Khai Boon, 19, and Lim Wei Xuan, 26.
Lim is said to have rented the pavilion for the wake.
He is accused of violating safe distancing measures by allegedly allowing more than 10 people to enter the venue, while the rest are said to have done so by meeting and performing a “secret society ritual” at the wake.
Mo, Lee, Lim, and Tay were also accused of allegedly inviting other people, including Kuah and Luo, to join their secret society.
The thirteenth individual, Ong Teck Wei, 34, did not attend the court hearing as he was arrested for suspected drug offenses early in the morning, the court heard Wednesday.
Court records show that he faces a similar charge for his involvement in the incident and other charges related to gang-related crimes.
In a statement Tuesday, police said the group had chanted gang slogans at the wake to show their ties to the secret society.
According to court records, Yu and Teo have other cases against them.
Yu faces charges for crimes related to unpaid cigarettes, while Teo is scheduled to be sentenced next month for crimes related to gang activity and harassment of moneylenders.
On Wednesday, Mo, Lim, Lee, Luo and one of the defendants under the age of 18 indicated that they would plead guilty to their crimes.
The 13 people are expected to return to court separately on various dates in September and October.
If found guilty of the gang-related crime, each man could be fined up to $ 5,000 and / or jailed for up to three years.
They can also be fined up to $ 10,000 and / or jailed for up to six months if convicted of violating safe distancing measures.
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