A Singapore public servant and her husband were arrested for allegedly leaking a draft media statement to the public on school closures amid the coronavirus outbreak before it was officially released, the Straits Times reported.

The couple was arrested for the offense of wrongful communication of information under the Official Secrets Act, according to the Straits Times, which cited a statement from police. The offense carries a fine of up to Sg$2,000 and imprisonment for up to two years, the paper said. Police investigations are ongoing.

According to preliminary investigations reported by the paper, the public servant was an authorised recipient of a draft statement detailing plans for full home-based schooling. She allegedly took a screenshot of the statement on her computer and shared it via WhatsApp with her husband, who was unauthorised to view it at that time. Her husband then reportedly shared it with his friends.

The image of the draft was widely circulated on WhatsApp and social media across Singapore on Friday before the government officially released its statement at 4.30pm local time. The school closures are part of additional government measures aimed at curbing the spread of the coronavirus in the country.

 - Bloomberg