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SINGAPORE: Two men who participated in a social gathering on Robertson Quay during the Singapore “circuit breaker” period were fined on Tuesday (September 22) for disobeying COVID-19 safety regulations.
On May 16, British citizens Daniel Olalekan Olasunkanmi Olagunju and Alfred Jon Veloso Waring were part of a group of people who gathered on the stairs near the Limoncello restaurant at 95 Robertson Quay to chat and drink alcohol.
READ: Two More Men Charged Over Robertson Quay Meetings During COVID-19 Circuit Breaker
The circuit breaker was implemented from April 7 to June 1 to stop the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore. During this period, people who did not live in the same residence were not allowed to meet for any social purpose.
Olagunju, 30, was fined S $ 8,500 and Waring, 34, a fine of S $ 8,000.
Assistant District Attorney Colin Ng asked that Olagunju and Waring be fined at least S $ 9,000.
“This is justified to reflect the seriousness of the defendants’ actions and to deter like-minded criminals who put their personal interests before public health,” said Mr. Ng and Assistant District Attorney Timotheus Koh in their presentation.
DO NOT WEAR MASKS, I HAD MASKS DROPPED
The court heard that Olagunju had met a woman who was sitting on the steps at around 3.47 pm and started chatting with her, before leaving shortly after to buy drinks.
He returned and continued chatting with the woman and another woman who was pregnant.
“The three continued to socialize there, and others joined in and left the group at various points,” court documents said.
At approximately 4.53pm, Waring joined the group. During the meeting, Olagunju and Waring left temporarily to buy water and beer, before meeting with them.
The group continued chatting and drinking on the steps until about 6.43pm, when two ambassadors who were safely driving away told them to disperse.
Members of the group, including the two men, did not observe safe distancing and either did not wear masks or had their masks lowered, Ng said.
The prosecutor added that the two men “were unfazed” that their actions could cause “concern and alarm” to members of the public who were complying with the circuit breaker rules. His actions could also have sparked the perception that “the law could be blatantly ignored.”
Defense attorney Shiever Subramaniam sought fines of Singapore $ 7,000 for each man.
He said there was no intention to break the law and described the meeting as a “chance encounter” that had “gotten out of hand”.
Mr. Ng responded that while there may not have been an intentional violation of the regulations, this was discounted by the time the two had been with the group.
Waring had stayed for an hour and 51 minutes and Olagunju had stayed in the area for two hours and 46 minutes, court documents showed.
For violating COVID-19 regulations, the men could have been jailed for up to six months, fined up to S $ 10,000, or both.
Photos of people gathering at Robertson Quay went viral on social media on May 16. Later, the Urban Redevelopment Authority ordered some restaurants in the area to stop selling alcohol to go.
READ: 7 people fined for social gatherings at Robertson Quay during COVID-19 breaker
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