Edwin Tong: Mikhy Farrera Brochez is a ‘pathological liar’

The US citizen in the center of Singapore’s HIV patient’s data leak scandal wrote a series on claims on his Facebook page on Wednesday, February 13, denying much that has been reported about him in this country. This has prompted Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong to call Mikhy Farrera Brochez a ‘pathological liar’ on his own Facebook page, listing a series of falsehoods that Brochez has said. Furthermore, Leong Hoe Nam, the Singaporean infectious disease specialist who had provided medical treatment to Brochez during his time here also said that the American’s assertions are untrue, calling them “baseless” and “bewildering.” On his Facebook page, in posts that have since been deleted, Brochez made allegations that he had been sexually assaulted while incarcerated in Singapore. He also said that medical treatment was withheld from him and that he was actually coerced into entering a guilty plea in order to receive treatment, among other accusations. Singaporean authorities, via a joint statement from the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and Singapore Prison Service (SPS), quickly denied Brochez’ allegations. “Brochez had been tried and found guilty by the Singapore Courts. He has now made baseless allegations about the investigations as well as against Police and Prisons. His actions have shown him to be a pathological liar.” The Ministry of Health (MOH) also issued a statement denying Brochez’ claims, noting that the American “continues to make allegations which are either false or unsubstantiated with any evidence. The matter has been thoroughly investigated by both the Ministry of Health and the Police. Brochez was convicted in Court for fraud and various drug offences. Should new evidence emerge, we will investigate accordingly.” Senior Minister of State Edwin Tong echoed a sentence from the joint statement of SPF and SPS on his Facebook account late on Wednesday night. Tong wrote, “[A pathological liar] Mikhy Brochez lied about the identity of his mother, he lied about his own identity in his passport, he lied about his educational qualifications, he lied about his HIV positive status, and he is now lying about what he did. He is a pathological liar.” Meanwhile, Leong Hoe Nam, the infectious disease specialist who provided treatment to Brochez while in Singapore was shocked at Brochez’ statements since these claims are against doctors’ “very fabric of our values.” Today reports Leong as saying, “Medical confidentiality and patient care were always at the top of our minds… I strongly object to what Mikhy has alleged and am disappointed at how he can do the very thing he said he stood against — data breach and patients’ confidentiality.” Brochez had alleged in one post that it was Leong who had provided him with the names of the inmates who are HIV positive and that Brochez took this list with him after he was deported in April 2018. The American called Leong “overly stressed from all the political pressures on him.” Furthermore, Brochez claimed that Leong told him back then that Brochez was not HIV positive after he had taken a blood test. Leong answered that the copy of the HIV Registry has never been in his possession and that he is forbidden from passing anything on to the patents that he treats, due to the “very tight security” of the jail system. Of Brochez, Leong said, “I attended to him as a Singapore prison doctor. He had an illness for which I am a specialist. Both the prison service and myself discharged our duties fully and with no bias or stigma. In short, Mikhy had baseless accusations and fabricated a bewildering story against me.” “There was no way I could sneak him a scrap of paper, let alone a registry or a thumb-drive.” Read related: Singapore authorities: Mikhy Brochez counters with unsubstantiated claims and ‘baseless allegations’ about HIV data leak https://theindependent.sg.sg/singapore-authorities-mikhy-brochez-counters-with-unsubstantiated-claims-and-baseless-allegations-about-hiv-data-leak/