Possible jail time if you fake a Covid-19 ART result
SINGAPORE – While the eight-week rostered routine testing exercise is not compulsory, companies and workers can still be in trouble if they submit fake antigen rapid test (ART) results.
This is because they can be convicted of cheating or forgery, lawyer Cory Wong told The Sunday Times.
Mr Wong had represented Chinese national, Zhang Shaopeng, 30, who was sentenced to three weeks’ jail on Wednesday after having forged a Covid-19 vaccination certificate to try to dine at Tanuki Raw bar and restaurant at Orchard Central.
Zhang had asked his colleague to send a photo of a doctor’s memo which certified he had been vaccinated against Covid-19. Using a mobile app, Zhang had edited the photo, replacing his colleague’s name with his own but was caught by alert staff who lodged a police report.
There is a risk some errant individuals or companies might try the same tactic, said Mr Wong.
But Mr Wong, who is an associate director at Invictus Law Corporation, said: “If you take a photograph (of an ART kit) which belongs to your friend and you are misrepresenting it as yours, that would fall under the offence of cheating.”
Doctoring a photograph to show a negative Covid-19 result when it is positive could potentially constitute forgery, he added.
Those convicted of cheating can be fined and jailed for up to three years per charge.
And those convicted of forgery can be jailed for up to four years and fined.
Recruitment agency Randstad Singapore’s managing director, Jaya Dass, said one way employers can ensure compliance is asking staff to film themselves doing the test during submission.
But that would create more administrative work and incur man hours for the human resources team to review, she said.
Another solution is an online platform developed by IT start-up Accredify, which requires employees to take a photo of their results using the app’s built-in camera.
This will ensure the timestamp is captured and prevent them from using the same photo repeatedly.
Accredify’s chief technology officer, Derrick Lee, said 15 companies in sectors such as manufacturing and financial services have expressed interest since its platform was launched, last week.
Ultimately, the onus lies on the person taking the ART to be honest and truthful.
Ms Dass said: “Employees must understand they have the responsibility to be truthful in their reporting as it does not only impact them but also their colleagues and their family members who have been exposed to them.”
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