20-10-2023 (SINGAPORE) A doctor’s ill-fated attempt to switch seats with his passenger to evade arrest at a police roadblock has resulted in a hefty fine. Dr. Nah Kwang Meng, who practices at the Dr. Nah & Lee Family Clinic in Woodlands, was fined $4,000 on Friday after pleading guilty to an offence related to trying to obstruct the course of justice.
The incident occurred on July 14, 2022, when Nah, 41, had consumed three to four glasses of beer after dinner. He was driving along Sophia Road towards Upper Wilkie Road, close to 11.30 pm when he spotted a police roadblock.
Fearing he would fail a breathalyzer test and be arrested for drink driving if identified as the driver, Nah attempted to swap seats with his front-seat passenger. He persistently urged the passenger to exchange positions, despite several rejections.
Nah was apprehended by a Traffic Police officer after stepping out of the vehicle, claiming he needed to retrieve surgical masks from the car’s trunk for his passenger. He initially failed the breathalyzer test but was later found to have only 32 micrograms (mcg) of alcohol in 100 ml of breath, which was below the prescribed legal limit of 35mcg.
The prosecution stated that Nah’s actions were a clear attempt to evade arrest by misleading the authorities about who was driving the vehicle. As a result, he was charged with attempting to perform an act that could pervert the course of justice.
Nah was represented in court by lawyers Chooi Jing Yen and Chen Yongxin from the Eugene Thuraisingam law firm. Mr. Chooi noted that Nah had always intended to plead guilty to the offence and emphasized that no seat-switching occurred. However, court documents did not reveal the identity of the passenger or how Nah’s attempt to change seats came to light.
Despite Nah’s breath alcohol content being below the legal limit, his actions and intentions were considered a criminal offense, resulting in the substantial fine.
