7-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a surprising turn of events, two men, 29-year-old Yang Chenguang and 45-year-old Li Xiao Wei, faced charges on Wednesday for allegedly assisting three individuals without tickets to gain entry to a Taylor Swift concert at the Singapore Sports Hub. Both men, hailing from China, were charged with abetting the trio to deceive the event organizer, Kallang Alive Sport Management.
According to court documents, Yang and Li purportedly facilitated the unauthorized entry of Shangguan Linmo, Hu Zhijun, and Yang Junhao to the Taylor Swift concert on Monday at approximately 6 pm. The concert, part of Swift’s sold-out Eras Tour in Singapore, was held at the National Stadium within the Singapore Sports Hub.
Reports suggest that Yang engaged security staff stationed at the sports hub’s entrance to create a distraction, while Li reportedly held onto a turnstile, allowing the three individuals to pass through without valid tickets.
In response to the incident, the police arrested three men aged between 29 and 45 for suspected involvement in cheating. Additionally, two men and two women aged between 21 and 25 are under investigation for criminal trespass.
On Monday at around 7.40 pm, the police received a report of unauthorized entry at the Singapore Sports Hub during the Taylor Swift concert. Preliminary investigations revealed that the three men charged facilitated the unauthorized entry for the group of four individuals lacking legitimate concert tickets.
While Yang Chenguang and Li Xiao Wei were charged on Wednesday, investigations against the other individuals involved are ongoing. The third man, yet to be charged, is currently under investigation, and the trio mentioned in the charges are believed to be among the group referred to by the police in their news release.
In a joint statement, Kallang Alive Sport Management and the Singapore Police Force announced an increased security presence at the Singapore Sports Hub from March 2, anticipating large crowds for Swift’s concerts. On March 4, security personnel detained several individuals attempting to trespass into the National Stadium.
Both organizations affirmed their commitment to ensuring public safety at events and urged the public to purchase tickets only from authorized sellers. The event organizer thanked patrons for their observations, aiding the security team and authorities in apprehending the alleged trespassers.
Yang Chenguang and Li Xiao Wei are scheduled to return to court on March 13, and both men have been remanded further to assist with investigations. If convicted of cheating, they could face imprisonment for up to three years or fines, or both. The penalty for criminal trespass is a jail term of up to three months or a fine of up to S$1,500 (US$1,121), or both.
