Data on 14,200 HIV-positive people were disclosed in Singapore

An American convicted of numerous crimes would be suspected of having leaked this information after obtaining it from his partner, a Singaporean doctor having access to the HIV registry, the health ministry said.

It comes after the medical records of 1.5 million Singaporeans, including Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, were stolen during an alleged state-sponsored attack in June and July, the biggest violation data never recorded in the country.

"Confidential information concerning 14,200 people diagnosed with HIV until January 2013, and 2,400 of their contacts, are in the possession of an unauthorized person," the ministry said in a statement. .

"The information was leaked illegally online … We are sorry for the concern and distress caused by this incident."

The information includes names, identification numbers, contact information, HIV test results and other medical information.

Access to information has been blocked, but the person who leaked it is still in the possession of the person concerned – and could be disclosed again, the ministry warned.

The affected people are 5,400 Singaporeans diagnosed with HIV until January 2013 and 8,800 foreigners diagnosed with HIV until December 2011.

Singapore, a city rich in 5.6 million inhabitants, is home to many expatriates.

Last week, the police informed the Ministry of Health that confidential information from the HIV registry may have been disclosed.

The data is in the possession of Mikhy K. Farrera Brochez, an American citizen who lived in Singapore from 2008 to 2016, the ministry said.

He was convicted of fraud and drug-related offenses in March 2017 and was expelled from Singapore after serving his sentence.

He is not currently in the city, said the ministry, adding that the authorities were seeking help from their foreign counterparts.

Broche was the partner of Ler Teck Siang, a Singaporean doctor, who had access to the HIV registry for his work. In September, he was found guilty of instigating Brochez to participate in criminal activities and sentenced to 24 months in prison. He's appealing.

Earlier this month, an official investigation into last year's violation highlighted a variety of failings, including weaknesses in computer systems, and indicated that the authorities believed that a state was probably at the origin of the attack.