On 23 October, a 44-year-old Malaysian man allegedly offered a bribe of SGD50 (~RM160) to a Singaporean Traffic Police Officer for the latter not to report a case of unauthorised cross-border ride-hailing service.
However, things didn’t turn out as planned for the accused, Lee Keh Meng. Not only did the officer, Sergeant Ahmad Hafiz Bin Abdul Sukur, reject the bribe, but Lee was also subsequently charged in Court in Singapore and now may face strict punishment.
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The accused faces up to 5 years in jail, up to SGD100,000 fine, or both
In a statement by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), after Sergeant Hafiz rejected the bribe, the case was referred to CPIB by the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
Lee was charged in Court yesterday (7 November) under Section 6(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act for allegedly offering a bribe to the Traffic Police Officer.
If convicted of the charge, Lee faces a fine of up to SGD100,000 (~RM320,340), up to 5 years in jail, or both.
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Singapore’s strict zero-tolerance against corruption
Accordingly, CPIB stresses that Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption.
CPIB also asserted that it looks into all corruption-related complaints and reports, including anonymous ones.
So, what do you guys think of the case? Do share your thoughts with us in the comments.