Indian-origin senior citizen gets 5-day jail for lying on Covid vaccine status
Singapore, April 28: An Indian-origin senior citizen in Singapore has been jailed for five days for lying about his Covid-19 vaccination status to enter a bar last year, according to a report on social media platforms. The accused has been identified as Utheyakumar Nallathamby (65).
The accused admitted to cheating by using TraceTogether app, which displays the Covid-19 vaccination status and was compulsory for getting into the bar.
Utheyakumar Nallathamby impersonated Indian-origin Malaysian Kiran Singh Rughbir Singh to enter the bar.
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Singh told the court that he and his girlfriend met Utheyakumar on September 9 last year and went to the island resort Sentosa for drinks and decided to go to the Bikini Bar. However, an assistant manager of the bar did not allow Utheyakumar as he was unvaccinated.
Singh suggested that Utheyakumar enter the bar using his TraceTogether application and vaccination status, Deputy Public Prosecutor Shen Wanqin said.
Utheyakumar agreed to Singh's suggestions and went to another bar with the woman while Singh waited outside. As Utheyakumar was consuming drinks, the assistant manager of the Bikini Bar spotted him at the nearby bar and recalled denying him entry at her workplace as he was unvaccinated.
Acting on her tip-off, employees approached Utheyakumar and found that he was impersonating Singh. Immediately, the matter was reported to a duty manager of the Sentosa Development Corporation.
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Singh, who had allowed the Indian-origin senior citizen to impersonate him, was also served a five-day jail term in February after he pleaded guilty. For cheating by personation, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined in Singapore.
— With inputs from social media
