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SINGAPORE: A judge on Friday (October 9) allowed a Chinese couple on trial for withholding information from health officials and obstructing COVID-19 contact tracing to return to China before the next leg of their trial in January.
Both parties argued for and against the decision, and the defense asked that their clients be allowed to return as they have spent a lot of time away from home and for business reasons, and the prosecutor opposed the measure, as he said they could escape.
District Judge Ng Peng Hong accepted the request for Hu Jun, 39, and his wife Shi Sha, 37, to leave Singapore for China and return in January before the trial.
Deputy Prosecutor Timotheus Koh successfully requested the suspension of this order, to have it suspended pending a review of the decision in the High Court.
Defense attorney Dhanwant Singh said his clients wanted to leave immediately and return on January 20 next year, “long before trial.”
He said his clients have been away from home since January 22, and it will be almost a full year that they will be away for the next leg of the trial.
READ: Chinese couple claim trial for hiding information from officers, obstructing contact tracing
“It is Mr. Hu Jun’s livelihood that is negatively affected,” he said. “He works as a financial advisor … he works in this line where he has been in charge of investments ranging up to millions of dollars and (his presence in China) is crucial in the sense that personal contact with clients is important.”
He said Hu’s livelihood is “at stake because his career is at a crossroads” and his presence in China is a priority.
Hu and Shi have two children, ages four and ten, and both are in China, as are the couple’s parents and in-laws. Shi has been separated from her children for “several months,” her lawyer said.
He said there was no chance that they would not return as they “remain innocent until proven guilty” and the case is well known in Singapore and China, “so they are too well known to be out.”
“All of Singapore, your honor, all of Wuhan or the rest of China, indeed on the Internet, are well known about the case,” Singh said.
He suggested an increase in the bond of up to S $ 30,000 each to guarantee their return.
THEY WILL ABSCOND: FISCAL
Deputy Prosecutor Timotheus Koh opposed the request, saying that neither Hu nor Shi have ties or roots in Singapore.
“The only thing we have is that the defendants say that they are not going to escape. This is not enough,” he said. The defense has not provided any documentary evidence, other than Hu’s contact card, to show that his situation is “so dire that he has to save his job and return to China.”
Koh noted that when the trial dates were given on September 11, for the next leg of the trial that will take place between January 25 and 28, the defense did not indicate that the accused couple wanted to leave Singapore.
The prosecutor stressed that Hu and Shi are flight risks and it is “very likely that they will not return” and, instead, flee and leave the jurisdiction. He said that the proposed increase in bail by $ 30,000 each is not enough to guarantee his return.
The judge asked the couple’s guarantors to share their views. Hu’s dancer said Hu is “very established in China for a very large financial firm, so this case already has a very negative impact.”
“He has explained this to me and I am very happy to provide him with any help to ensure he returns,” he said.
Shi’s bailiff agreed and said that from his two years of knowing Shi, he is confident that she will return.
READ: Prosecution concludes case in trial of Chinese couple accused of obstructing COVID-19 contact tracing
SHI GOES TO COURT
Shi addressed the court through a Mandarin interpreter and said that since her husband arrived in Singapore in January, “they have taken the proactive step of going to the hospital for tests and exams.”
“We have not infected anyone here in Singapore and we have been very cooperative in the investigation. Therefore, we will also return to Singapore in a very responsible way,” Shi said.
He added that one of his children is only four years old and recently underwent surgery.
“I miss my children very much,” she said, adding that her husband is the sole breadwinner in the family and her clients have indicated they want to “withdraw the funds” in connection with their business.
“Your honor, the Ministry of Health has already made the charges we face openly known, therefore we have already faced a lot of criticism and unfair treatment from many people, so we have already been facing punishment,” Shi said. He added that he took his children to Singapore for education because he feels “love for this land.”
“I will do nothing to harm him. We will definitely return to prove our innocence,” he said.
Judge Ng said he considered the submissions and granted the request for Hu and Shi to leave the country, but with certain conditions.
He increased the bond by S $ 80,000 each and ordered them to provide travel itineraries to the investigating officer prior to their departure.
They must provide details of where they will be staying, along with their contact numbers, and remain contactable. They must also surrender their passports before January 22, 2021.
The prosecution had concluded his case in August of this year. Hu and Shi are accused of obstructing contact tracing efforts by health authorities by omitting information on their whereabouts.
If convicted of the crimes, both husband and wife face penalties of up to six months in jail, a maximum fine of S $ 10,000, or both, for each count.
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