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Veteran police officer jailed for failing to report, arrest ex-cop who offered bribe

Singapore’s State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)
Singapore’s State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

When police Senior Staff Sergeant Shukor Warji was offered $2,000 by a former colleague to help get another man arrested, the veteran policeman did not agree to do so.

However, for failing to report the offer of a bribe and not arresting the person making the offer, the 47-year-old was sentenced to one week’s jail at the State Courts on Tuesday (27 March) after pleading guilty to one charge under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Another charge for breaching the Official Secrets Act (OSA) was taken into consideration for Shukor’s sentencing. He is currently suspended from duty.

According to court documents, Shukor was serving as an investigation officer at the Central Police Division when he was approached by former police officer Tan Bee Song, 40, on 31 July 2016. Shukor and the 40-year-old Tan had been friends for many years.

Tan asked Shukor for help in getting another person, Hoon Tian Jie, arrested. Tan also informed Shukor that Hoon could be involved in drugs, bookmaking and illegal 4D betting activities.

The ex-policeman added that he had been offered $4,000 by a third party – Yee Kok Siong – to get Hoon arrested. Tan offered to split this amount with Shukor in exchange for the latter arresting Hoon.

Yee had allegedly wanted Hoon arrested as revenge for the latter having “played (him) out”.

Tan then wrote down Hoon’s particulars on a piece of paper and handed it over to Shukor, who kept it in a compartment of his mobile phone.

With no significant information from Tan on Hoon’s alleged criminal activities, Shukor did not agree to arrest Hoon. Shukor told Tan that he was from the unlicensed moneylending branch and had no reason to suspect that Hoon had committed any related offences.

When Tan suggested that Shukor forward Hoon’s information to the relevant department, the latter neither agreed nor disagreed to do so. Following their meeting, Shukor also did not inform anyone else of the information he received from Tan.

He did know, however, that Tan was corruptly offering gratification with his offer to split the money for Hoon’s arrest.

Arguing for a fine, Shukor’s lawyer Ismail Hamid said that his client had been in the police force for over 20 years and would be sacked following his conviction.

“I urge you to impose an appropriate fine as he has lost everything,” said Ismail.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Suhas Malhotra countered stating that the loss of Shukor’s job was not a mitigating factor in the case, just a consequence of his actions, and pushed for a custodial sentence.

Judge John Ng said that based on the “very good reasons” put forth by the DPP, a custodial sentence was “appropriate” in Shukhor’s case.

“What was presented before you was something very serious… You were duty bound to act,” said Ng while addressing Shukhor.

Shukhor’s sentence will begin on 9 April.