The Online Citizen A Community of Singaporeans
A staff sergeant with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) was charged on Thursday (27 September) with 33 charges, including 13 counts of wrongful communication of information under the Official Secrets Act, and four counts of corruptly accepting sexual gratification under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) shared that Chin Peng Sum, 51, was charged with four counts of accepting sex from two Chinese nationals, Zhu Shirong and Wang Chenghong.
He was reported to agree to recommend the extension of their Special Pass, which allows mid-level skilled staff to work in Singapore. Applicants have to earn at least $2,200 a month and have relevant qualifications and work experience.
Chin was also charged with one count of obstructing the course of justice by deleting 37 incriminatory text messages exchanged between Zhu and him.
The authority then added that Chin also allegedly tipped off Zhu, Wang, Tang and another woman known as Yan Yan about impending raids by an enforcement agency to prevent them from being arrested for vice-related and immigration offences.
Chin was charged with 13 counts of communicating information he was not authorised to, and another 13 counts of obstructing the course of justice for this matter.
After the trial, Chin and his wife Lee Lay Chin, 40, were seen holding hands as they walked out of the State Courts.
The man then spoke to the media, saying that he has been suspended indefinitely from the ICA.
Chin will be back in court on 25 October, with bail set at $5,000.
His lawyer S. Govindaraju said the charges were served only on Tuesday. However, he noted that Chin has not yet decided whether to claim trial or plead guilty, as they will need time to look into the matter.
CPIB in its statement, stressed that it is a serious offence for public officers to act in their own interests and use their position to solicit corrupt benefits and that the country adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption.
"CPIB takes a serious view of any corrupt practices and will not hesitate to take action against any party involved in such acts," it added.