SINGAPORE — A general practitioner accused of molesting his 24-year-old patient during a consultation has repeatedly denied doing so, saying that the allegations were “outrageous” and that he did not even remember seeing her at all.

Lui Weng Sun, 46, told the court on Thursday (Aug 22) that he believes the patient’s boyfriend was asking for monetary compensation several hours after the incident allegedly took place.

Lui is contesting one charge of outraging the woman’s modesty on Nov 6, 2017 at the Northeast Medical Group clinic, located along Jalan Tiga off Old Airport Road. 

The doctor allegedly placed a stethoscope on the woman’s breast and touched her nipple with his finger.

The prosecution amended the charge on Thursday, which previously read that he pulled her bra cup down to molest her. He is now accused of turning the woman's bra cup outwards.

She cannot be named due to a court order to protect her identity.

The alleged victim, who is now aged 26, and her 44-year-old boyfriend testified earlier this week as prosecution witnesses — the woman did it behind closed doors.

Lui gave evidence on the witness stand as the defence opened its case on Thursday.

The married father of three began working at the clinic about a decade ago. He testified that he was asked to leave by the other owners “to preserve their reputation” after he was arrested and charged.

He now splits his time between a clinic in Dawson, which he co-owns with another doctor, and at other clinics as a locum (stand-in).

‘NOTHING DISTINCTIVE ABOUT HER’

Questioned by his lawyer Shashi Nathan, Lui told the court that he saw the alleged victim at 2.42pm on a Monday, which was usually a busy day. He had seen 47 patients before her.

“She had the same symptoms, same complaints (as other patients). There was nothing distinctive about her,” Lui said.

The lawyer asked: “She has made certain allegations against you that are different from normal patients. But you’re saying you can’t specifically remember (her)?”

“I can’t remember the patient at all,” Lui replied.

Lui’s clinical notes showed that the woman complained of a cough, runny nose, sore throat and loss of voice. She had a 37.9°C fever.

Lui said that he examined her back with his stethoscope first, then the front — his standard protocol.

The patient had claimed that Lui pulled her shirt up over her chest, then placed his stethoscope above her left breast.

“That definitely did not happen,” he said. “I’ll never do that in the open clinic… I would usually listen to her chest over her clothes, so there is a layer of clothes in between her skin and the stethoscope.”

‘NO MEDICAL REASON TO PUT IT THERE’

The patient also claimed that when a clinic assistant interrupted them to hand Lui some forms, he pulled her shirt back down. He then allegedly pulled it back up when the assistant left.

“According to the complainant, what happened next is that she decides, for some reason, to help you by pulling the shirt up herself,” Mr Nathan told Lui.

Lui said that he did not remember this happening, nor did he turn her bra cup outwards and put his stethoscope directly on her nipple.

“There’s no medical reason to put it there,” Lui said. “In medical school training, we were told to avoid the nipple as much as possible because it’s a very sensitive area.”

When Mr Nathan told Lui that the patient claimed he had used his index finger to point at and pressed her nipple, he said: “I definitely did not do such a ridiculous thing.”

She left the clinic after he prescribed her medicine and gave her two days of medical leave.

CONVERSATION WITH BOYFRIEND

At about 6pm the same day, the patient’s boyfriend called the clinic to speak to Lui, but he was at his Dawson clinic. They then spoke for about 15 to 20 minutes after 9pm.

Lui testified that the other man accused him of touching the patient but did not go into specifics.

The boyfriend also told Lui that he had asked the police what he should do, but had not made a report yet.

Lui said: “He asked me to meet face-to-face the next day… He kept saying ‘jiao dai’ (account for)… in Mandarin, it also sounds like a request for compensation. He could have been hinting at monetary compensation.

“I was shocked at what he said. I do not know what he was talking about but I wanted to find out more, so I agreed to meet him the next day.”

The meeting did not happen, because the man filed a police report.

The trial will continue after the next date is set.