Singapore vows to pursue American man Mikhy Farrera Brochez over HIV data leak as public disquiet brews
- Authorities knew data of HIV-positive people in Singapore was compromised by a US citizen but decided to stay quiet to protect patient privacy
- Scandal has heightened public disquiet over lapses by a government that has staked its reputation on being efficient and honest
Singapore on Tuesday vowed to go after an American man accused of publishing data on thousands of people with HIV, even as the government denied covering up the leak despite knowing about it for almost three years.
Gan told a meeting of the country’s parliament on Tuesday that authorities had wanted to protect the privacy and well-being of the affected people and were initially unaware that Brochez possessed details from the country’s entire HIV registry.
“[The ministry] made a judgment call, balancing the various considerations. It is arguable that [the ministry] should have made a different call. But I reject any allegation that [it] sought to cover up the incident,” he said, adding that it was possible that Brochez had more files on him, and Singapore police were working with their counterparts in the US to monitor the internet for further leaks.
The scandal, which broke last month, has heightened public disquiet in the country over slip-ups and mistakes by a government that has staked its reputation on being efficient and honest.
Eugene Tan, a political observer and law professor at Singapore Management University, said the latest breach had “dented public confidence” in the systems of governance.