Top officer fined $6,000 and suspended from his duties after court-martial
Top officer fined $6,000 and suspended from his duties after court-martial
by Teo Xuanwei
05:55 AM Jan 28, 2010
<!--replace --> <script type="text/javascript"> var text = "SINGAPORE - A high-ranking army officer has been court-martialled for misconduct believed to have involved a female subordinate.
Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Teo Li-Wei was fined $6,000 this week by the General Court Martial.
The 33-year-old was also suspended from his duties as deputy director in the Defence Ministry\'s defence policy office.
Mindef confirmed with MediaCorp that the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Merit Scholar had been brought before a subordinate military court at the SAF Court Martial Centre along Choa Chu Kang Way on Jan 7.
He was charged with \"cruel, indecent or disgraceful conduct\" - a charge under the SAF Act for which he could have faced up to two years\' imprisonment.
According to sources, the matter arose because LTC Teo, who is a divorcee, conducted a sexual relationship with a married female subordinate at his Mindef headquarters office in Gombak Drive.
He is the highest-ranking SAF officer to be brought before a military court for offences related to dealings with female colleagues since 2000.
Then the Army\'s Chief Medical Officer, Colonel Low Wye Mun, was demoted to the rank of Major after he was convicted for making sexual advances towards a married female subordinate.
He also lost more than $325,000 in retirement benefits.
There are no further details - for now - if LTC Teo might similarly lose part of his retirement benefits following this conviction.
LTC Teo, a former Hwa Chong Junior College student, was awarded an SAF scholarship after representing Singapore in the World Schools Debating Championships in 1995.
He graduated from Oxford University with an honour\'s degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics and went on to read International Relations at the London School of Economics.
After he returned, he became an infantry officer and eventually rose to his position.
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SINGAPORE - A high-ranking army officer has been court-martialled for misconduct believed to have involved a female subordinate.
Lieutenant-Colonel Frederick Teo Li-Wei was fined $6,000 this week by the General Court Martial. The 33-year-old was also suspended from his duties as deputy director in the Defence Ministry's defence policy office. Mindef confirmed with MediaCorp that the Singapore Armed Forces Overseas Merit Scholar had been brought before a subordinate military court at the SAF Court Martial Centre along Choa Chu Kang Way on Jan 7.
He was charged with "cruel, indecent or disgraceful conduct" - a charge under the SAF Act for which he could have faced up to two years' imprisonment. According to sources, the matter arose because LTC Teo, who is a divorcee, conducted a sexual relationship with a married female subordinate at his Mindef headquarters office in Gombak Drive.
He is the highest-ranking SAF officer to be brought before a military court for offences related to dealings with female colleagues since 2000. Then the Army's Chief Medical Officer, Colonel Low Wye Mun, was demoted to the rank of Major after he was convicted for making sexual advances towards a married female subordinate.
He also lost more than $325,000 in retirement benefits. There are no further details - for now - if LTC Teo might similarly lose part of his retirement benefits following this conviction. LTC Teo, a former Hwa Chong Junior College student, was awarded an SAF scholarship after representing Singapore in the World Schools Debating Championships in 1995.
He graduated from Oxford University with an honour's degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics and went on to read International Relations at the London School of Economics. After he returned, he became an infantry officer and eventually rose to his position.