Singapore — Phoon Chiu Yoke, or the woman now also known as “Badge Lady”, was handed 14 more charges in court on Tuesday (Jul 6), totalling 21 charges.
Out of the fresh charges the 53-year-old faces, 10 counts are for failing to wear a mask in public places and four charges are for breaching her 14-day stay-home notice (SHN) last year.
Phoon was infamously caught on camera refusing to wear a face mask, despite being asked to do so by safe distancing ambassadors.
She was spotted repeatedly asking for the safe distancing ambassadors’ badges as they advised her to wear a mask while queueing at Marina Bay Sands.
“If you have no badge, why are you asking me to do something?” she was heard saying. “Who are you representing?” she asked.
According to a Straits Times report, Phoon allegedly failed to wear a mask over her nose and mouth “at all times” at Newton hawker centre between 7.20 pm and 8 pm on May 8 last year.
She is also said to have not worn a mask in places such as MBS and Tiong Bahru Market in numerous instances between May 8 last year and May 24 this year.
She is also accused of breaching her SHN at MBS that she was required to serve between June 28 and July 12 last year on five occasions.
Phoon allegedly left her room twice on July 8, and once each on June 28, July 5 and July 9.
She once again urged the prosecution to drop the new charges against her, saying that she suffered from eczema and sometimes breathlessness, which were reasons for her not to wear a mask.
Previously, in court on June 8, Phoon repeated four times that she was a naval officer with a “strong professional standing”, and asked for the charges against her to be dropped.
“I have a very strong professional standing, not only in Singapore, but globally… I served in the navy for 12 years and was the first female commanding officer,” she said, according to a Straits Times report.
She also said there have been “procedural errors” on the part of the investigating officers, alleging that she was arrested without a warrant.
Phoon also asked that she be offered bail of S$3,000 without a surety, as she was the navy’s first female commanding officer and had made contributions to Singapore “as a pioneer”.
Phoon’s bail has been increased from $8,000 to $12,000 and her case adjourned to July 23. /TISG