Do you have trust in the Singapore police force?

[myfoot123]

I trust our police, but I don't trust Chee Bye Tat, the transport-challenged minitoots.

 

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Policeman cheated noodle stall of S$36.50 in orders, paid money to himself instead​

Siew Weng Chuin has since resigned from the Singapore Police Force.

The man's modus operandi was to say that he wanted to pay for his order via PayNow but then change the payee in the ensuing transaction from the noodle stall's bank account to one that belonged to him. (Photo: iStock)

Koh Wan Ting​

09 May 2024

SINGAPORE: Instead of paying a noodle stall for his food order, a man transferred money between two of his bank accounts and then pretended that he had paid the stall's operator.
Siew Weng Chuin, 25, said that he would make the payment via PayNow and then changed the payee in the ensuing transaction from the noodle stall's bank account to one that belonged to him.
He repeated this deception at the noodle stall in Hougang about three to five more times.
Siew, who was a police officer then, was fined S$500 (US$369) on Thursday (May 9) after pleading guilty to one count of cheating. Another count of cheating was considered for his sentencing.
Siew paid the fine. He has since resigned from the Singapore Police Force, according to court documents.
The court heard that Siew began patronising the noodle stall in April last year.
On Apr 14, he placed an order for food amounting to S$25.60. He told the stall's operator, a 26-year-old woman, that he would pay via PayNow bank transfer and used his mobile phone to scan the QR code displayed at the stall.
Instead of making the transaction, however, Siew changed the payee and effected the payment to himself.
Siew then showed the victim the transaction, deceiving her into believing that he had paid for his food.
On another occasion, on Apr 17 last year, after placing an order for S$10.90 but failing to pay again, the victim asked Siew if the previous payment of S$25.60 had been made. She said she had not been able to find a record of the transaction in the stall's bank account.
"The accused acted surprised and told (the victim) that the payment had gone through and showed (the victim) his transaction history that reflected a transfer of S$25.60," the prosecution told the court.
The victim assumed the payment was still pending. She asked Siew to provide her with his phone number, but he gave her a number that was no longer in use.
She could not reach Siew when she tried to call him later on to inform him about the unsuccessful payment.
On May 31, 2023, the victim spotted Siew and confronted him. She hurriedly called the police, stating that she had previously made a police report about the non-payments. She said the police had asked her to call again if she saw Siew.
In total, Siew cheated the victim out of S$36.50, court documents said. He made full restitution on Apr 18 this year.
For cheating, Siew could have been jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

 

[birdie69]

Policeman cheated noodle stall of S$36.50 in orders, paid money to himself instead​

Siew Weng Chuin has since resigned from the Singapore Police Force.

The man's modus operandi was to say that he wanted to pay for his order via PayNow but then change the payee in the ensuing transaction from the noodle stall's bank account to one that belonged to him. (Photo: iStock)

Koh Wan Ting​

09 May 2024

SINGAPORE: Instead of paying a noodle stall for his food order, a man transferred money between two of his bank accounts and then pretended that he had paid the stall's operator.
Siew Weng Chuin, 25, said that he would make the payment via PayNow and then changed the payee in the ensuing transaction from the noodle stall's bank account to one that belonged to him.
He repeated this deception at the noodle stall in Hougang about three to five more times.
Siew, who was a police officer then, was fined S$500 (US$369) on Thursday (May 9) after pleading guilty to one count of cheating. Another count of cheating was considered for his sentencing.
Siew paid the fine. He has since resigned from the Singapore Police Force, according to court documents.
The court heard that Siew began patronising the noodle stall in April last year.
On Apr 14, he placed an order for food amounting to S$25.60. He told the stall's operator, a 26-year-old woman, that he would pay via PayNow bank transfer and used his mobile phone to scan the QR code displayed at the stall.
Instead of making the transaction, however, Siew changed the payee and effected the payment to himself.
Siew then showed the victim the transaction, deceiving her into believing that he had paid for his food.
On another occasion, on Apr 17 last year, after placing an order for S$10.90 but failing to pay again, the victim asked Siew if the previous payment of S$25.60 had been made. She said she had not been able to find a record of the transaction in the stall's bank account.
"The accused acted surprised and told (the victim) that the payment had gone through and showed (the victim) his transaction history that reflected a transfer of S$25.60," the prosecution told the court.
The victim assumed the payment was still pending. She asked Siew to provide her with his phone number, but he gave her a number that was no longer in use.
She could not reach Siew when she tried to call him later on to inform him about the unsuccessful payment.
On May 31, 2023, the victim spotted Siew and confronted him. She hurriedly called the police, stating that she had previously made a police report about the non-payments. She said the police had asked her to call again if she saw Siew.
In total, Siew cheated the victim out of S$36.50, court documents said. He made full restitution on Apr 18 this year.
For cheating, Siew could have been jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.

SPF cheated $36.50, lol!

 

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Jail for ex-cop who forged witness statements, then lied to court in bid to be a lawyer​

Willjude Vimalraj Raymond Suras was sentenced to 25 months’ jail on June 20 after he pleaded guilty to 10 charges. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Samuel Devaraj

Jun 20, 2024

SINGAPORE – After his superior discovered that he had recorded two identical statements from witnesses in separate cases, a police officer was found to have forged 38 statements in 21 case files.
While under probe, Willjude Vimalraj Raymond Suras resigned from the Singapore Police Force in April 2019 and applied to become a lawyer.
In his application to the Singapore Bar, he lied in an affidavit to the High Court dated Dec 22, 2020, that he was not under any pending criminal investigation or proceedings in Singapore.
Willjude, 33, was sentenced to 25 months’ jail on June 20 after he pleaded guilty to 10 charges, including nine for forgery.
The last charge he admitted to was for intentionally giving false evidence in a judicial proceeding.
A total of 29 other forgery charges were taken into consideration during Willjude’s sentencing.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Chua said that Willjude held the rank of inspector, and as an investigating officer, his duties included recording statements from witnesses for criminal and coroner’s cases and recommending the appropriate course of action to his supervisor.

The prosecutor said Willjude’s supervisor noticed that Willjude rarely followed up outstanding investigations and often did not file away completed matters.
“She spoke to the accused on several occasions about his poor performance but did not see any progress,” DPP Chua added.
Despite meeting Willjude in December 2018 and setting deadlines for his outstanding cases, the supervisor observed that he still submitted his cases late and with inadequate investigations.

On Jan 26, 2019, the supervisor reviewed two of Willjude’s case files and found it strange that identical statements were recorded from two witnesses for two unrelated cases.
Suspecting that the statements may have been forged, she called the witnesses to check if Willjude had recorded statements from them and was told that he did not.
Upon questioning, Willjude admitted to forging the witness statements.
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His supervisor then ordered him to surrender all his case files, and following a review, he admitted to forging 38 statements. These cases included criminal and coroner’s matters that had been concluded, and criminal investigations that did not end in prosecution.
For one case that he had been assigned to on Nov 30, 2018, he had to record statements from three witnesses. But Willjude wanted to complete investigations and submit the case file quickly, said DPP Chua.
So for one witness whose handwritten statement was taken at Woodlands Checkpoint, he added fictitious portions while recording the statement and was careful not to read those portions back to her.
He did not interview another of the witnesses at all, and instead aligned the facts in her account with that of the first witness.
DPP Chua said the affected cases had to be reinvestigated where necessary and fresh statements were recorded from witnesses. It was found that all case outcomes were not affected by the forgeries.
Willjude was assessed by a senior consultant at the Institute of Mental Health on two occasions and was found to have had adjustment disorder, a psychological condition that occurs when an individual has difficulty coping with stressors or major life changes, among other conditions.

The doctor found that there was a contributory link between his mental condition and his forgery offences, but not for lying in the bar application.
DPP Chua asked the court to sentence Willjude to 30 months’ jail.
She said extensive efforts were spent to identify and reinvestigate affected cases, and that Willjude was persistent in his dishonesty.
“The accused’s dishonesty undermines public confidence in the integrity of the investigative and legal processes,” she added.
Willjude’s lawyer, Mr Azri Imran Tan, asked the court for a sentence of 12 to 17 months’ jail. Mr Tan added that Willjude had immediately ceased practising as a lawyer when Mr Tan advised him that he should not be doing so.
Mr Tan said Willjude had suffered workplace abuse by his superior during his stint in the police force, in addition to various personal issues. He said there was no intention to cast aspersions against the police or place blame on the superior for her actions, but the conditions he found himself in had affected his motives for committing the forgeries.
DPP Chua said that while necessary mitigating weight was given to Willjude’s reaction to his work environment, everyone faces stresses at work and that it cannot justify his actions.
She also said that due mitigating weight had been given to his mental condition in the sentence she sought.
For each count of forgery, Willjude could have been jailed for up to four years and fined.
He could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for intentionally giving false evidence in a judicial proceeding.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Cop misappropriated over $90k in cash entrusted to him as an investigation officer​

Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali, who was suspended in October 2020, arriving at the State Courts on June 25, 2024. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Jun 25, 2024

SINGAPORE – A senior staff sergeant with the Singapore Police Force (SPF) misappropriated cash totalling more than $90,000 entrusted to him when he was an investigation officer (IO).
Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali committed the offences from 2017 to 2020, and the monies were linked to 24 cases that he was then handling.
At the time of the offences, he was attached to Bedok Police Division as a senior IO and a deputy officer-in-charge of a general investigation squad in SPF.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh told the court: “The accused’s modus operandi was to take the monies seized during investigations... for his own use, to settle debts and for gambling.
“(He) would then forge acknowledgment slips and statements from victims to show that the monies had been returned to the victim in order to conceal the fact that he had misappropriated (them).”
On June 25, Danial, 34, who was suspended in October 2020, pleaded guilty to eight counts of criminal breach of trust and five forgery charges. Twenty-eight other charges will be considered when he is sentenced on July 23.
DPP Koh said that Danial joined the SPF in April 2009 and as an IO, his tasks included facilitating the handover of restitution monies from accused persons to victims.

After receiving the cash, Danial had to hand over the monies to the victims and prepare a police acknowledgement slip to show that he had done so. However, he kept the monies for himself and forged multiple slips to cover his tracks.
Among other things, Danial handled a cheating case involving a 61-year-old Indonesian male defendant and a 38-year-old complainant – a Singaporean woman.
Court documents did not disclose details about the pair’s case, but on Nov 9, 2017, the man met Danial at Bedok Police Division headquarters in Bedok North and handed him $5,000 in cash. The money was supposed to be given to the woman as restitution.

Danial then issued him a police acknowledgement slip, stating that he had received the money.
The prosecutor said: “(Danial) was supposed to return the money to the complainant... but he did not do so. Instead, he used the money to place bets on soccer betting and on personal expenses.”
He also forged a slip to show that he had purportedly handed her the money.
The court heard that he went on to commit similar offences multiple times after this incident.
They came to light after one of his superiors – a superintendent at Bedok Police Division – received Danial’s annual credit bureau screening on Oct 15, 2020.

The DPP said: “It was discovered that (Danial) had accumulated unsecured debts of close to three months of his monthly salary, based on his credit report from the Credit Bureau of Singapore, and... he had taken loans from several licensed moneylenders and his colleagues.”
Danial was on leave when the superintendent, who was then the head of investigation at the division, asked two assistant superintendents to conduct a check on Danial’s workstation and cabinets.
The assistant superintendents were going through investigation files under Danial’s charge when they discovered copies of police acknowledgement slips.
The documents were linked to monies which he had received from people who were involved in cases that he had investigated.
Danial was later confronted with the findings and he came clean about what he had done. He was arrested on Oct 17, 2020, and suspended from duties five days later.
On June 25, DPP Koh urged the court to sentence him to up to four years and seven months’ jail.
She said: “His behaviour constituted a dishonour to the policing profession and a betrayal of his organisation to the highest degree – not only did he commit an offence in the course of duty, he also committed the very offence for which he was responsible to prevent.”
Danial has since made $7,600 in restitution

 

[mojito]

Singaporeans commit more crimes..

 

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Cop who pocketed over $90k in cash entrusted to him gets more than 4 years’ jail​

Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali was a senior staff sergeant with the Singapore Police Force. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Jul 24, 2024

SINGAPORE - A policeman who misappropriated cash totalling more than $90,000 entrusted to him when he was an investigation officer (IO) was sentenced to four years and four months’ jail on July 23.
At the time of the offences, Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali was a senior staff sergeant with the Singapore Police Force (SPF), and he committed them from 2017 to 2020.
The money was linked to 24 cases that he was handling.
Before handing down the sentence, District Judge Crystal Tan said that a deterrent sentence was warranted in Danial’s case, stressing that he had made a fundamental breach in his duties.
She also said that the offences were committed over several years and were difficult to detect.
On June 25, Danial, 35, who was suspended in October 2020, pleaded guilty to eight counts of criminal breach of trust and five forgery charges. Twenty-eight other charges were considered during his sentencing.
Danial joined the SPF in April 2009. As an IO, his tasks included facilitating the handover of restitution monies from accused people to victims and preparing acknowledgement slips to show that he had done so.

However, he kept the monies for himself and forged multiple slips to cover his tracks.
At the time of the offences, he was attached to Bedok Police Division as a senior IO and a deputy officer-in-charge of a general investigation squad in SPF.
On July 24, SPF told The Straits Times in a statement that it will start internal action against Danial.

Its spokesperson added: “Officers of SPF are expected to uphold the law and maintain high standards of discipline and integrity. We deal severely with officers who break the law.”
In earlier proceedings, Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh told the court: “The accused’s modus operandi was to take the monies seized during investigations… for his own use, to settle debts and for gambling.
“(He) would then forge acknowledgement slips and statements from victims to show that the monies had been returned to the victim in order to conceal the fact that he had misappropriated (them).”
Among other things, Danial handled a cheating case involving a 61-year-old Indonesian male defendant and a 38-year-old complainant – a Singaporean woman.

Court documents did not disclose details about the pair’s case, but on Nov 9, 2017, the man met Danial at Bedok Police Division headquarters and handed him $5,000 in cash, which was supposed to be given to the woman as restitution.
Danial then issued him an acknowledgement slip.
The prosecutor said: “(Danial) was supposed to return the money to the complainant… but he did not do so. Instead, he used the money to place bets on soccer betting and on personal expenses.”
He also forged a slip to show that he had purportedly handed her the money.
The court heard that he went on to commit similar offences multiple times after this incident.
They came to light after one of his superiors – a superintendent at Bedok Police Division – received Danial’s annual credit bureau screening on Oct 15, 2020.
The DPP said: “It was discovered that (Danial) had accumulated unsecured debts of close to three months of his monthly salary, based on his credit report from the Credit Bureau of Singapore, and… he had taken loans from several licensed moneylenders and his colleagues.”
Danial was on leave when the superintendent, who was then the head of investigation at the division, asked two assistant superintendents to conduct a check on Danial’s workstation and cabinets.
The assistant superintendents were going through investigation files under Danial’s charge when they discovered copies of police acknowledgement slips.
The documents were linked to monies which he had received from people who were involved in cases that he had investigated.
Danial was later confronted with the findings, and he came clean about what he had done. He was arrested on Oct 17, 2020, and suspended from duties five days later.
His bail was set at $20,000 on July 23, and he is expected to begin serving his sentence on Aug 13.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Forum: Police force should review internal controls and accountability mechanisms​

Aug 02, 2024

I am writing to express my concern over a recent incident of misappropriation involving a police officer from Bedok Police Division (Cop who pocketed more than $90k in cash entrusted to him gets more than 4 years’ jail, July 23).
Such acts not only erode public trust in the Singapore Police Force, but also undermine the integrity of our law enforcement agencies.
The Singapore Police Force has always been held in high esteem for its professionalism and dedication to public service. However, an offence like this one, which was committed over several years, casts a shadow over the force’s reputation, even if it is an isolated incident. Stringent measures must be put in place to prevent such occurrences from happening again.
I urge the Singapore Police Force to conduct a thorough review of its internal controls and accountability mechanisms. This should include strengthening financial oversight, implementing regular audits, and enhancing ethics training for all officers.
And there should be a robust whistle-blowing system in place to encourage reporting of misconduct without fear of reprisal.
By taking decisive action, the Singapore Police Force can reaffirm its commitment to upholding the highest standards of integrity and public service.

Kea Jin Suan

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Over 6 years’ jail for cop who received $32,500 in bribes, helped 2 men evade arrest​

On Aug 16, Poo Tze Chiang, 47, who was suspended in December 2020, was sentenced to six years and six months’ jail and ordered to pay a penalty of $32,500. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Aug 16, 2024

SINGAPORE – A station inspector with the Singapore Police Force’s (SPF) Secret Societies Branch (SSB) was in debt when he repeatedly helped two men evade arrest and received $32,500 in bribes from the pair.
On Aug 16, Poo Tze Chiang, 47, who was suspended in December 2020, was sentenced to six years and six months’ jail and ordered to pay a penalty of $32,500. He will spend an additional 14 weeks behind bars if he is unable to pay the amount.
Poo was convicted of seven graft charges and three counts of obstructing the course of justice, after a trial.
Deputy public prosecutors David Menon and Bryan Wong stated in court documents that over the course of a year, Poo received the bribes from Mr Cordell Chan and Mr Wang Huate.
Court documents did not disclose if Mr Chan will be or has been charged in court. Meanwhile, Mr Wang, then 41, walked free after his charges were withdrawn following a stern warning. He was given a discharge amounting to an acquittal on April 9. This means he cannot be charged again over the same offences.
In September 2023, a fourth man identified as Ng Chuan Seng, then 52, was sentenced to five weeks’ jail after he pleaded guilty to an offence under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The DPPs said in their submissions that Mr Chan and Mr Wang were with some friends at an Orchard Road nightspot in the wee hours of Sept 14, 2019, when they got into an altercation with other patrons.

Police arrived at the scene and Mr Wang was arrested shortly before 5am that day after drunkenly challenging an officer for arresting an associate, who was not named in court documents. Mr Wang was taken to Tanglin Police Division and released later that morning. Police did not arrest Mr Chan.
The prosecution told the court that Mr Wang then spoke to Mr Chan, who decided to “find a solution” over the matter.
According to court documents, Mr Chan sought help from Ng, also known as Daoni, who was an “elder” in a secret society. At the time, Mr Chan believed that Ng had “some connection” with members of the SPF, said the DPPs.

Ng then told Mr Chan and Mr Wang to meet him at a Geylang KTV club which Ng owned. When Mr Chan and Mr Wang arrived at the club later that month, Ng introduced them to Poo, who was with his friends in a private room.
The DPPs said: “At some point, Daoni gave Cordell and Huate a red packet and instructed them to put $2,000 in it, to be given to (Poo). Cordell and Huate placed (the amount) into the red packet and passed it to Daoni.
“Huate and Cordell testified they agreed to give (Poo) the red packet containing $2,000, so the police investigation would be ‘settled’.”
Some time later, Mr Chan told Poo about the Orchard Road fight. According to the DPPs, Poo told Mr Chan not to worry and to stay out of trouble.
The prosecutors added: “Daoni passed the red packet containing $2,000 to the accused, who accepted it... This meeting opened the floodgates.
“Over the course of a year, the accused, who was perennially plagued by financial issues, exploited Cordell’s and Huate’s fear of being detained to extract numerous bribes from them.
“In exchange, the accused helped Cordell and Huate evade police action on three occasions.”
The DPPs also said that on or around Nov 21, 2019, Poo approached Mr Chan and asked him for a loan of $1,000. They added that Mr Chan then transferred the amount to Poo’s wife.
In February 2020, Mr Wang was stopped at Woodlands Checkpoint before the SSB detained and questioned him. Mr Chan and Mr Wang then contacted Poo as they feared imminent SSB action.
The prosecutors said that Poo asked for $20,000. According to court documents, Mr Wang then handed the money to the police officer in exchange for his help.
The DPPs added: “On Aug 5, 2020, the accused twice helped Huate evade the police. First, in the morning, he tipped off Cordell that Huate would be detained... if he reported for bail that day.
“Second, that evening, he dissuaded two SPF officers from conducting a spot check on Cordell and Huate.”
The court heard that the SBB later turned its attention to Mr Chan, who sought Poo’s help.
The DPPs said that Poo then told him that he needed to fork out $10,000 to resolve the matter.
The prosecution told the court that Mr Chan successfully negotiated the amount down to $7,000 before he handed $5,000 to Poo on Aug 22, 2020. He gave Poo another $2,000 during a subsequent meeting.
Poo also solicited and received two loans totalling $2,500 from Mr Chan in August and September that year, said the DPPs.
On or around Nov 25, 2020, Mr Chan parked his car in Bukit Batok and met Poo for a meal. Poo later noticed an unmarked car from the SSB parked nearby and alerted Mr Chan, who fled from the scene.
Poo will be appealing against his conviction and sentence. He still has five pending charges linked to a separate case, and these will be dealt with at a later date.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

ICA officer targeted 5 victims at Changi Airport and stole at least $650 from them​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Aug 27, 2024

SINGAPORE – An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer at Changi Airport targeted five foreigners who were about to leave Singapore and stole cash totalling at least $650 from them.
The prosecution said that the victims realised their loss only after they left the country.
On Aug 26, Muhammad Fadhil Mohamed Salleh, 36, who committed the offences as he was facing financial woes at home, was sentenced to 14 months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to three theft charges relating to three people involving at least $550 in total.
Two other similar charges involving the remaining amount were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Fadhil, who has been suspended for service since Oct 12, 2023, has made no restitution.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times on Aug 26, ICA said: “(We) immediately reported (him to the police) for investigation when we uncovered the alleged theft... Following the officer’s conviction in court, appropriate disciplinary actions will be taken against him with a view to dismissing him from service.”
Deputy Public Prosecutor Mark Chia told the court that such offences tarnish Singapore’s reputation as an international travel hub.

He added: “Singapore has long been internationally recognised as a country that is safe and comfortable for travellers. It boasts the second-best airport in the world.
“It is impossible to maintain such a reputation if its own immigration officers, tasked to protect its borders, offend against foreigners visiting its shores.”
At the time of the offences, Fadhil was working at the departure hall of Changi Airport Terminal 4.

On Sept 20, 2023, a 33-year-old man from Vanuatu was attempting to clear immigration at the departure hall when he was flagged by the immigration system.
Court documents did not disclose why he was flagged, but Fadhil took him to an interview room, where he asked the younger man to place his backpack on a table.
Fadhil then told the man, identified in court documents as V4, to lay out the contents of the backpack and the latter complied.
The DPP said: “In the midst of checking V4’s items, the accused began counting V4’s cash in front of him. The accused would count a portion of the cash before placing it on the table for V4 to put away before continuing counting the rest of the cash.
“He first held the whole stack of cash in his left hand, before using his right hand to pull out each note from his left hand as he counted. After finishing counting a portion, he would use his right hand to place the counted notes on the table for V4 to put away.”
While counting the last portion, Fadhil tucked several notes in his right hand and used the same hand to continue thumbing through the notes in his left hand.
When he was finished counting, he kept the tucked notes in his right hand and shuffled the remaining notes back to his left hand. After that, he used his left hand to place those notes on the table for V4 to put away.

V4 was busy repacking his items when Fadhil balled the notes he had tucked away into his right hand and put his right hand into his pocket.
He later allowed V4 to clear immigration and leave Singapore.
A CCTV camera in the room recorded the incident, and Fadhil later admitted to investigators that he took at least $50 from V4.
By using a similar method, he stole $400 from a 32-year-old Thai woman on Sept 26, 2023, and at least $100 from a 45-year-old Vietnamese woman two days later.
The Thai woman later went on the ICA website and stated on a feedback form that one of the agency’s officers had stolen from her.
ICA conducted an investigation and one of Fadhil’s colleagues lodged a police report on Oct 1, 2023.
On Aug 26, DPP Chia urged the court to sentence the offender to up to 15 months’ jail, adding: “If travellers are not safe from even its (law enforcement officers), who are they safe from?
“General deterrence must therefore apply to signal an absolute intolerance towards such abuses by (such officers) whose actions risk tarnishing the country’s global standing.”
Fadhil’s bail was set at $10,000 and he is expected to surrender himself at the State Courts on Sept 9 to begin serving his sentence.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

Pair accused of graft acquitted after judge finds CPIB statements ‘inaccurate and unreliable’​

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

Oct 11, 2024

SINGAPORE – A district judge acquitted two men accused of graft-related offences linked to a former Land Transport Authority (LTA) deputy group director on Oct 11, after finding the statements taken by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) “inaccurate and unreliable”.
Mr Pay Teow Heng, 56, was accused of giving Henry Foo Yung Thye bribes in the form of loans totalling $350,000 in 2017 and 2018.
Mr Pay was a director at construction firm Tiong Seng Contractors (TSC) at that time, and allegedly did so to advance the business interest of TSC with LTA.
Mr Pek Lian Guan, 59, then TSC’s managing director, was accused of intentionally aiding Mr Pay in giving the bribes.
The prosecution said that LTA had engaged TSC to construct an MRT station under a contract initially valued at $315 million, adding that Mr Pay was Foo’s counterpart in the contract.
In September 2021, Foo, then 47, was sentenced to 5½ years’ jail for taking about $1.24 million in bribes in the form of loans from several contractors and subcontractors.
In his verdict dated Oct 11, District Judge Soh Tze Bian noted that investigating officer (IO) Tan Kiat Tat, also known as IO Jeffrey, admitted during the trial that he tried to “frame” Mr Pek when drafting his first statement.

“This choice of words suggests an intention to portray Pek in a manner that could imply guilt rather than providing an impartial and objective account of the interview,” the judge added.
Meanwhile, a second CPIB officer, IO Chris Lim, “had a ‘blatant disregard for the truth” when recording Mr Pay’s second CPIB statement.
During the trial, the prosecution stated in their submissions that it was undisputed that Mr Pay had given Foo the loans.

They said that the main issue to be decided was whether the loans were given corruptly or innocently.
Mr Pay’s defence during the trial was that he had felt sorry for Foo, who had told him he needed money to pay his mother’s gambling debts. Mr Pay then decided to help Foo, the court heard.
In his verdict, Judge Soh said that he found that the prosecution had failed to prove its case against Mr Pay and Mr Pek beyond a reasonable doubt that the loans given to Foo were given corruptly.
He added: “The prosecution cannot rely on the respective inaccurate and unreliable incriminating CPIB statements of Pay and Pek to prove its case.”

The judge had noted that “IO Jeffrey’s approach included embellishing and inserting his own words into Pek’s statements, deviating from the actual language and context of Pek’s responses”.
He added that Mr Pek’s first statement which IO Tan (Jeffrey) recorded also contained several self-incriminating remarks that were repeated four times.
“Such repetition is not a faithful representation of what Pek actually said during the interview but rather indicates an attempt to emphasise Pek’s culpability,” Judge Soh said.
“This is further supported by IO Jeffrey’s admission under cross-examination that he used a cut-and-paste method to compile the statement, and it did not matter to him whether Pek in fact repeated himself in that manner, implying that the repetition might not reflect the true nature of Pek’s interview responses.”
He also noted that during the trial, IO Lim admitted that he approached an interview with a preconceived notion that Mr Pay had committed some form of offence.
“(IO Lim) admitted that Pay’s first CPIB statement was ‘not good enough’ to implicate Pay in a corruption offence. In my view, this scenario raises significant concerns about the reliability of Pay’s second CPIB statement.”
The judge further noted: “(IO Lim) provided false explanations to an exhausted Pay regarding the meaning of the words recorded in his statement.
“His approach was mischievous and conveniently selective, as he selectively recorded only those parts of Pay’s statements that could be construed as incriminating while ignoring or omitting exculpatory evidence.”
On Oct 11, Judge Soh granted Mr Pay and Mr Pek a discharge amounting to an acquittal, which means they cannot be charged again over the same offences.
Asked if it will appeal against the judge’s verdict, the Attorney-General’s Chambers told The Straits Times: “(We are) presently studying the court’s judgment and will decide on the next course of action thereafter.”
Mr Pay’s legal team from WongPartnership was led by Senior Counsel (SC) Tan Chee Meng.
Its spokesperson told ST: “Our client would like to convey his heartfelt gratitude to his family and friends who stood by him throughout these difficult five years.
“All he had wanted to do was to help a friend in need, and he is extremely pleased that the court has now vindicated him.”
Speaking through his legal team from Drew & Napier led by SC Cavinder Bull, Mr Pek said he is relieved to have proven his innocence in court, adding: “My family and I are very pleased with the outcome of this case.”