Editor-DN
A Singapore court fined a 37-year-old Chinese woman S$5,000 (Rs 3,26,681) for forging a medical certificate to take nine days off work. In particular, Su Qin, a 37-year-old software developer was employed by the ETC Singapore SEC. According to a report of Channel News Asia, She wanted a break because of her health issues and concerns about her mother’s health, but she didn’t want her company to think badly of her. Instead of taking regular leave, she chose to forge a medical certificate, which allowed her to receive hospitalization leave pay totaling S$3,541.15. He also forged his mother’s death certificate to extend his stay in China and take care of his ailing mother.
Ms. Qin used Adobe Photoshop to edit a valid certificate, changing the name of the hospital to “St. Luke’s Hospital” and changing the dates to match her desired leave period. SU’s plan initially worked, and he received paid hospitalization leave. However, she resigned on April 4, and the company’s HR department reviewed her leave and benefits. They discovered the fake certificate, saw the blurred QR code, and found the web link was broken. When asked to submit the original copy, Su created a fake link and QR code and submitted another fake medical certificate.
Ms Q then confronted the head of HR, was fired with 24 hours’ notice, and reported to the police. He pleaded guilty to one count of forgery, with two additional charges taken into consideration. He later reimbursed the company.
Su Kin’s lawyer, Richard Lim, pleaded for a lenient sentence, saying SU’s actions were not motivated by malice or financial gain, but a desperate attempt to resolve a personal struggle.
“Instead, these were impulsive decisions made by an individual under emotional and physical pressure to cope with enormous personal and professional pressure. The accused has learned a harsh lesson and has spent sleepless nights worrying about the matter. He has been suspended by both companies as a result of his wrongdoings and is currently unemployed,” he said.
So Kin came to Singapore in 2005 as an 18-year-old scholarship recipient from the Ministry of Education. He graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science and established a successful career as a software engineer. As the sole breadwinner for her aged parents, she takes full responsibility for their welfare.
Her lawyer, Mr Lim, presented these circumstances in the mitigation application, highlighting her contribution to Singapore and her family’s dependence on her.
