Identity card cheat has sentence halved in appeal
By Zul Othman | Posted: 05 May 2010 1841 hrs
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SINGAPORE : A man who was found guilty of unlawfully owning a Singapore Identity Card had his sentence halved during an appeal at the Supreme Court on Wednesday. Deliveryman Tan Wei Shin, 23, had pleaded guilty to the charge at a district court in January and was sentenced to four months' jail.
While Justice Chao Hick Tin felt a deterrent sentence ought to be imposed because the Identity Card was "an important document", he was "uncomfortable" with the four-month jail term as the original charge was only of possession of the card, which belongs to one Tan Chuin Hao. Court documents indicated that Tan had found the Identity Card on June 7 last year. The next day, he attempted to use it to apply for an Apple iPhone, valued at S$1,500, at a SingTel shop at Killiney Road.
However, the staff discovered that the photo on the card did not resemble Tan. The police were alerted and the accused arrested. Typically, offences involving wrongful possession of an Identity Card involved jail time of three months, the court heard. While the prosecution conceded that the amount involved was not "big", it was still a "substantial value" and Tan committed the act "out of greed".
Even so, Justice Chao said the attempted fraud should not be taken as an "aggravating factor". "It is also a question of precedence... there is a difference between use and possession". Despite having his sentence lowered, Tan remained defiant. "My value of cheating compared to those caught red handed (was less)", he told the court. "I accept that," replied Justice Chao. "But at the end of the day, you have to bear in mind that the Identity Card is an important document here."
- CNA/al
