A 28-year-old woman in Singapore has been sentenced to four days in jail after making a false police report against her 60-year-old boyfriend following a dispute over their relationship and money.
The woman, identified as Tang Pei Si in reports by Shin Min Daily News, falsely claimed that her boyfriend had assaulted her, twisted her left hand and taken S$400 from her. Her report triggered a police response that forced her boyfriend, who was working as a bus driver at the time, to stop his vehicle.
Tang pleaded guilty to one charge of filing a false report on Aug. 21 and was sentenced to four days’ imprisonment.
The incident happened on Oct. 6, 2024, when Tang and her boyfriend had reportedly been in a relationship for around 10 years. The man worked as a bus driver at Hougang Bus Interchange and travelled from Malaysia to Singapore by motorcycle for work.
Dispute began over lunch and S$400
According to court information reported by Shin Min Daily News, the man would sometimes bring lunch for Tang when he was working afternoon shifts. She was experiencing financial difficulties at the time, and the pair would eat together at the interchange.
On the day of the incident, Tang arrived at around 2pm expecting to meet him for lunch. However, heavy rain delayed his arrival until approximately 2.25pm.
After they had eaten, the man prepared to leave and begin his shift. Tang became upset because she felt he was not spending enough time with her. She reportedly pulled on his uniform in an attempt to stop him from leaving.
There was also a disagreement involving S$400. Tang had previously borrowed the money from her boyfriend but had returned it shortly before the incident. She subsequently regretted returning it and asked him to give it back because she wanted to use the money to buy clothes and shoes.
Her boyfriend refused, further upsetting her.
False report disrupted bus journey
At about 2.43pm, Tang boarded bus service 112, which was being driven by her boyfriend. She reportedly sat at the front of the bus but became increasingly angry when he did not engage with her.
She then contacted the police and alleged that the bus driver had stolen S$400 from her and physically assaulted her.
As a result of the report, the driver was required to stop the bus and wait for police officers to arrive. Three passengers who were on board also had to leave the vehicle and wait for another bus.
Police investigations subsequently established that Tang’s allegations were untrue. She eventually admitted that she had made the false report because of a personal dispute with her boyfriend.
The case highlights the potential consequences of making a false police report in Singapore. While personal and relationship disputes can become heated, knowingly providing false information to the authorities can result in criminal prosecution, imprisonment and other legal consequences.