Singapore woman accused of killing husband ‘hid knife', faces new justice obstruction charge
SINGAPORE, June 13 — A woman accused of fatally injuring her husband during a scuffle in late 2023 has been slapped with a fresh charge of obstructing justice today, in addition to a string of other offences.
According to The Straits Times, 52-year-old Baniyah Shap was accused of intentionally obstructing the course of justice by allegedly washing and hiding a silver foldable knife after a fight that led to the death of 62-year-old Mohamed Ali Saaban.
The fatal incident occurred at about 11.52pm on December 11, 2023, at the void deck of Block 631 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 4. Both individuals are Singaporeans.
Baniyah is alleged to have caused Mohamed Ali's death through a negligent act not amounting to culpable homicide, having reportedly inflicted a puncture wound on him with the knife during the scuffle.
She was earlier charged with possessing the weapon — a silver foldable knife with a blade around 6.5cm long — without lawful purpose.
Following the altercation, Baniyah is said to have cleaned the knife and hidden it in a residential unit in the same block.
She was remanded for psychiatric observation after displaying erratic behaviour in the wake of her arrest.
Aside from the charges linked to her husband's death, Baniyah also faces multiple counts related to financial crimes.
These include allegedly providing others with her internet banking credentials to carry out unauthorised transactions and deceiving banks into opening accounts under her name.
Out of her 15 current charges, the majority pertain to these financial offences.
According to court records, Baniyah has indicated her intention to plead guilty, though it is unclear which charges she plans to admit to.
The prosecution is expected to submit court documents by the end of June, with a mitigation plea to follow. A court hearing list shows she is represented by the Public Defender's Office.
She remains in remand and is scheduled to plead guilty on July 4.
If found guilty of obstructing justice, she faces up to seven years' jail, a fine, or both. A negligent act causing death carries a maximum penalty of two years' jail or a fine, or both. For possessing an offensive weapon without lawful purpose, the penalty is up to three years in jail. As a woman, Baniyah cannot be caned.
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