Former policeman jailed for forgery, giving false evidence
By Spykerman Kimberly | Posted: 21 August 2012 1602 hrs
File photo of the Subordinate Courts
SINGAPORE: A former police officer was sentenced to 14 months' imprisonment on Tuesday for forgery, fabricating evidence, and giving false information to a public servant during a Coroner's Inquiry.
Mohammad Hisham Atan, 35, who was then the investigating officer, had been tasked to obtain an independent expert opinion from the Academy of Medicine, following the death of Madam Kamariah Hassan in 2007.
She was believed to have died from multiple-organ failure caused by a drug allergy.
After almost two years into the case, Mohammad Hisham still had not written to the Academy of Medicine to request an expert opinion.
He had also attended only six of the 25 Coroner's mentions called during that period, where he lied to State Coroner Victor Yeo about the progress of the case.
He told Mr Yeo that he had informed the Academy of Medicine that Madam Kamariah's family was unaware of her drug allergy - even though he had neither contacted the academy nor the dead woman's family.
Mohammad Hisham also created a false police statement by the victim's son, when asked by the State Counsel to check with the family if they had any issues to raise during the inquiry.
The statement he provided included fictitious personal details.
When the case was later transferred to another officer, Mohammad Hisham agreed to contact the dead woman's family to inform them of the date of the Coroner's Inquiry as well as arrange a meeting.
He did not do so and even went on to forge her son's signature on a document that was to be tendered in court.
The inquiry was later carried out without any family members present.
It was only in July 2010 when the dead woman's family contacted the police to check on the status of the case, that an official complaint was lodged against Mohammad Hisham.
In his mitigation, his lawyer said that he had committed the offences due to stress.
Mohammad Hisham had been transferred to a new department soon after being assigned the case, and had struggled to cope with the workload.
His lawyer added that the officer had been with the police force for 14 years, and even won awards for his work there.
Mohammad Hisham was dismissed in March 2011.
- CNA/de
