In a recent court ruling, Chai Wen Hin, a 29-year-old Singaporean man, has been sentenced to two days’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to providing false information to a public servant. Chai’s actions involved a car accident in which he claimed to have sustained a neck injury.
WHAT HAPPENED :
According to the CNA report, the incident occurred on May 11, 2021, when Chai was standing near his parked car on Park Crescent. Allegedly, a 72-year-old man named Mr. Ho Jin Sam reversed his vehicle into Chai’s parked car and refused to provide his contact information.
Seizing an opportunity, Chai proceeded to make false claims regarding the accident. The day after the incident, Chai visited a doctor and obtained four days of medical leave.
During the consultation, he falsely stated that he was inside his stationary car and wearing a seatbelt when the accident occurred. Chai complained of neck pain resulting from the collision.
In an attempt to bolster his deceit, Chai also filed a police report, claiming that he was waiting for a friend at the accident location when Mr. Ho’s vehicle collided with his front bumper.
“I alighted and went to his car as it (seemed) that he was about to drive off. He informed me that he did not know that his car had collided (with) mine,” said Chai according to CNA.
According to Chai, he approached Mr. Ho, who allegedly expressed ignorance about the collision. Chai further asserted that he managed to capture only Mr. Ho’s license plate number, despite his attempts to obtain his particulars. He then submitted an insurance claim report to the General Insurance Association, citing damage to his car and claiming a neck injury.
However, surveillance footage from a nearby closed-circuit television camera revealed that Chai was standing outside his vehicle at the time of the incident, contradicting his false statements.
Upon discovering the discrepancies in Chai’s account, the traffic police investigation officer confronted him on July 5, 2021. Chai subsequently retracted his false report and amended his insurance claim to state that he had not suffered any injuries.
The prosecution argued that Chai’s false statements had prompted the traffic police to initiate investigations into the accident, potentially subjecting Mr. Ho to further inquiries, such as those related to careless driving.
Chai, represented by the Public Defender’s Office, claimed that he had never intended to make a false injury claim against Mr. Ho, either through insurance or otherwise.
During sentencing, the prosecutor sought a minimum of five days’ imprisonment, citing the two-month duration during which Chai maintained his false version of events and the absence of evidence indicating that he would have recanted his claims voluntarily.
For providing false information to a public servant, Chai could have faced a maximum penalty of six months’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$5,000, or both.
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