Techie Faces Rs 3 Lakh Fine For Faking Sick Leave; Check Details Here

Su's lawyer, Richard Lim, argued that her actions were not motivated by malice but rather stemmed from significant emotional and financial pressure, according to the report

After receiving a call from a hospital in China about her mother’s critical condition, Su falsely claimed that her mother had passed away to extend her stay in China

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A Singapore court has fined a 37-year-old woman S$5,000 (approximately Rs 3.26 lakh) for forging a medical certificate to get sick leave from her job as a software developer. The techie named Su Qin made impulsive decisions, driven by her mother's declining health and her own struggles with stress.

A Chinese national who moved to Singapore at 18 on a government scholarship, Su created a fake medical certificate for her employer, ETC Singapore SEC, using Adobe Photoshop, according to a report by Channel News Asia.

Court documents reveal that she altered a legitimate medical certificate from a previous visit, changing the header to that of St. Luke's Hospital and modifying the hospitalisation dates to cover March 23 to April 3, 2024. She also blurred the accompanying QR code, enabling her to take nine days off work and receive S$3,541.15 in salary.

However, the scheme fell apart when the head of human resources discovered the forgery during Su's resignation process on April 4. Her suspicions grew when attempts to verify the QR code revealed it to be broken. When asked for an original copy, Su submitted a second forged certificate, which ultimately led to her dismissal and her employer filing a police report.

In court, Su pleaded guilty to one count of forgery, with two additional charges related to the fraudulent documents taken into account during sentencing. Her lawyer, Richard Lim, argued that her actions were not motivated by malice but rather stemmed from significant emotional and financial pressure, according to the report.

After receiving a call from a hospital in China about her mother’s critical condition, Su falsely claimed that her mother had passed away to extend her stay in China, later submitting a forged death certificate. Su had been solely responsible for her mother's healthcare expenses and had taken on additional freelance work that did not offer paid leave.

The prosecution recommended a fine between S$5,000 and S$6,000, citing the seriousness of her actions. At the same time, her lawyer, Richard Lim, requested leniency, emphasising that Su's motives were driven by a desperate need for rest during a difficult time.

Su has been terminated from both of her jobs and is currently unemployed.

Although she faced a potential prison sentence of up to four years for forgery, the imposed fine allowed her the chance to return home to care for her ailing mother.