Skip to main content
Best News Website or Mobile Service
WAN-IFRA Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2022
Best News Website or Mobile Service
Digital Media Awards Worldwide 2022
Hamburger Menu

Advertisement

Advertisement

Singapore

Former PA to Singapore Food Agency director-general charged with leaking statement on school closures

Former PA to Singapore Food Agency director-general charged with leaking statement on school closures

Husband and wife Khairul Annuar Zakaria and Noorain Jubli arriving at the State Courts on Apr 21, 2021. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

SINGAPORE: The former personal assistant to the director-general of the Singapore Food Agency (SFA) was charged on Wednesday (Apr 21) under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) with leaking an unreleased statement about school closures during the COVID-19 "circuit breaker" last year.

Noorain Jubli, 38, who was the personal assistant to the SFA director-general at the time of the offences, was charged with two counts of wrongful communication of information. SFA suspended her from her duties in April 2020.

Her husband Khairul Annuar Zakaria, 39, was also given two charges under the OSA for wrongful communication and soliciting information.

Noorain had access to the SFA director-general's inbox, which had emails containing confidential information on the management of COVID-19 in Singapore, said the charge sheet.

Husband and wife Khairul Annuar Zakaria and Noorain Jubli arriving at the State Courts on Apr 21, 2021. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

The police said on Tuesday night that Noorain was a public servant and an authorised recipient of the information at the time of the offence. It was a draft media statement by the Ministry of Social and Family Development and the Ministry of Education in early April last year announcing details of full home-based learning for schools, as well as the closure of pre-school and student care centres.

Noorain is accused of taking a photo of her computer screen showing the statement and sending it to her husband via WhatsApp at about 9am on Apr 3, 2020.

Khairul allegedly forwarded the information to a WhatsApp chat group that had 13 members. He is also accused of asking his wife to take photos of a list of essential services that would continue operating during the circuit breaker period, and she allegedly sent him eight photos.

Husband and wife Khairul Annuar Zakaria and Noorain Jubli arriving at the State Courts on Apr 21, 2021. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

The court heard that the couple, who had no lawyers, intend to plead guilty, and a date was fixed for them to do so in June.

Sixteen other people who had received the information and forwarded the information will be given written advisories for the wrongful communication of information under OSA, the police said.

If convicted, Noorain and Khairul can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to S$2,000 per charge.

SFA said in reply to CNA's queries that it takes a very serious view of any wrongful communication of information by its staff.

"The officer was immediately suspended from her duties in April 2020 when SFA was informed that the police had started investigations," said the spokesperson.

She added that SFA has since reviewed and tightened its information security protocols and processes, and reminded its officers to abide by its code of conduct and the OSA.

READ: Former deputy lead of MOH data unit charged under OSA for leaking Singapore's COVID-19 numbers 22 times

Husband and wife Khairul Annuar Zakaria and Noorain Jubli leaving the State Courts on Apr 21, 2021. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

This is the second such charging over a leak of official COVID-19-related information. Last week, Zhao Zheng, a former deputy lead of a Ministry of Health data unit, was charged with leaking daily COVID-19 numbers. Her co-accused Tang Lin was given 10 charges under the OSA.

In June 2020, a 50-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of leaking classified information on the resumption of activities as part of Phase 2 of Singapore's reopening.

Husband and wife Khairul Annuar Zakaria and Noorain Jubli leaving the State Courts on Apr 21, 2021. (Photo: Gaya Chandramohan)

BOOKMARK THIS: Our comprehensive coverage of the coronavirus outbreak and its developments

Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel for the latest updates on the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram

Source: CNA/ic

Advertisement

Also worth reading

Advertisement