11 teenagers charged over meeting each other for 'settlement talk', fight in Boon Lay
by Lydia LamSINGAPORE: Eleven teenagers are accused of leaving their houses during the "circuit breaker" period for a "settlement talk" and an ensuing knife fight near a shopping centre.
The 10 boys and one girl were each charged with one count of an unlawful assembly armed with deadly weapons, and a second charge of breaching COVID-19 regulations by meeting socially.
According to charge sheets, there were two groups involved and all the accused persons are aged between 16 and 19.
The first group comprised Jovan Pang Zhiquan, 18, Tan Wei Hao, 17, Glenn Wong Jun Yi, 18, See Huan Foo, 17, Jerome Tan, 17, Phoebe Chu Wei Er, 17, and Leong Wei Zhi, 16.
They allegedly met at Block 221 Boon Lay Place at about 11.10pm on May 25 near the POSB ATM to "proceed together for a settlement talk".
The second group is made up of Seth Lim, 19, Keith Ser Sheng Kai, 18, Cyrus Lim, 17, and Lum Qi Xuan, 18. They are also accused of meeting at the same ATM for "a settlement talk".
A 12th person, Muhammad Zulfadhli Latip, was listed in charge sheets as being part of the second group but was not charged on Wednesday.
By meeting for an unpermitted social purpose - to proceed for the "settlement talk", all 11 are accused of breaching Regulation 6 of the COVID-19 regulations.
They are each also charged with a second charge of forming unlawful assemblies soon after meeting at the ATM to cause hurt to various members of the opposing group. Some teenagers from each group were armed with knives, charge sheets state.
Some of the teenagers were previously charged with rioting, over an earlier incident on Mar 12.
According to charge sheets, Tan Wei Hao, Jerome Tan, See Huan Foo and Leong Wei Zhi were involved in a riot that day at Boon Lay bus interchange with five others.
Charge sheets did not state what either incident was about.
Several of the teenagers were remanded for investigations, and all of them will return to court next month.
The penalties for joining an unlawful assembly while armed with a deadly weapon are a maximum five years' jail, a fine, caning, or any combination of these punishments.
For breaking a COVID-19 regulation, they can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$10,000, or both.
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