Far East Plaza boutique owner fined for not wearing mask on live streams
Niki Han, founder of Nimisski boutique, was fined S$3,000 in the State Courts on Jun 2, 2022. (File photo: Facebook/Nimisski)
Davina Tham
02 Jun 2022 04:39PM (Updated: 02 Jun 2022 04:41PM)
SINGAPORE: A boutique owner who repeatedly did not wear a mask while live-streaming from her shop in Far East Plaza was fined S$3,000 on Thursday (Jun 2).
Niki Han Jiayi, 34, pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to wear a mask while outside her home. Another 18 similar charges were considered for sentencing.
Han was working at her fashion store Nimisski on all 21 occasions detailed in the charges, which took place between Sep 20, 2020 and Oct 21, 2020.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) was alerted to the offences by an information report. Court documents did not state who the informant was.
STB then carried out online checks of certain Facebook Live videos streamed from Han's shop to promote goods sold in the store.
In the videos, Han was seen in the background talking to customers while not wearing a mask on the three occasions in the proceeded charges.
On one of these occasions, she was also seen modelling a dress and verbally promoting it without a mask on.
The prosecution asked for a fine, and noted that Han had an unrelated prior conviction for possessing counterfeit goods in 2018.
Han's defence lawyer asked the court to consider her medical condition of sinusitis, which caused her to have a dry throat and runny nose during the live streams.
The lawyer said this was why Han removed her mask, although she should not have done so nor interacted with customers without a mask on.
For each count of failing to wear a mask when not in her ordinary place of residence without a reasonable excuse, Han could have been jailed up to six months, fined up to S$10,000 or both.
