'Honest' Malay cop keeps job: "He offered me $50 to keep quiet" -
Although dis Malay S Sgt seems quite a silly clown: "'I did not know
what to do,' he said in court", I still think that he should be rewarded
for his honesty at not accepting the $50 and eventually bringing his
bad subordinate (and the other 4 who accepted $50) to justice, unless
there's more to his "unauthorized raid"- (See next post for trial
outcome or [link]).
Me finds it sad that 5 in 6 policemen in this case were 'corrupt', n if
not for the S Sgt refusing the $, they'd have been like the govt mafia
conducting "unauthorized raids", robbing other bandits in the dark
corners of Singapore.
Pls give Staff Sergeant Zulkifli Mohamad some sort of promotion for his
'arrest' of 5 corrupt policemen even though he quite IMHO bungled his
(illegal) raid on the illegal foreign worker hic. talent.
Perhaps our police are trying too hard to 'earn their keep' and satisfy their bosses.
Perhaps our junior policemen need a pay increase along with more on-job
training- so they can better recognize contraband cigarettes- and not
get caught out smoking them themselves.
References:
- [Reuters: 5Apr2007]: "'If we don't do that ... corruption will set in
and we will become like many other countries,' Defence Minister Teo
Chee Hean was quoted as saying in the Straits Times last week."-
'Singapore ministers set for million-dollar pay hike' [link]
- [CNA: 3May2006] 'Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong says Singapore is at
the top of its game because of a strong political system and quality
leadership' [YouTube/@1m10s]
'He offered me $50 to keep quiet'
Cop charged with corruption for looting seized items in a raid and handing it to colleagues. -TNP
Thu, Apr 22, 2010
The New Paper
By Ho Lian-Yi
AFTER arresting an illegal immigrant, a police officer found $300 and a carton of contraband cigarettes.
Instead of turning in the loot, the cop shared the spoils with his colleagues.
He allegedly did so to keep them quiet.
These allegations have landed Sergeant Elvilin Tay Sheo Tang, 36, in hot water.
Tay faces five corruption charges for allegedly giving a $50 bribe each to four colleagues.
He had offered a fifth the same amount but the offer was rejected, reported The Straits Times.
The charges are serious enough that if convicted, Tay faces a fine of up
to $100,000 and/or a jail term of up to five years on each of the five
corruption charges against him.
It all started after a raid at a forested area off Seletar Range on Jan
24, 2008. The prosecution said that the raid itself was unauthorised but
during the operation, the illegal immigrant was arrested.
Tay's group leader, Staff Sergeant Zulkifli Mohamad, accused Tay of
handing out the contraband cigarettes at a birthday party later that day
- at a police station.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli testified yesterday, on the first day of Tay's trial.
Even though he knew what was inside the package, Staff Sgt Zulkifli admitted he said nothing.
"I did not know what to do," he said in court.
This, despite saying a group leader should "act as a mentor" to his colleagues.
The men had been working together for about five months in Team Delta in Ang Mo Kio North Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC).
Staff Sgt Zulkifli said Tay had taken out the pack of contraband
cigarettes while they were seated at a table in the rest area at Kebun
Baru Neighbourhood Police Post (NPP) between1pmand 1.30pm.
Also present were two other officers, Special Constable Ng Han Long and
Corporal Muhamad Hazim, who were also named as targets of the bribes.
That was their official rest period.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli said Tay showed them a carton of Texas 5 cigarettes, about 40cm long, unopened in clear plastic wrapping.
He said it looked to be contraband. Unlike cigarettes sold here, the
cancer advisory was missing from the cigarette boxes Tay showed them.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli said he had asked Tay where he got the carton from.
That's when Tay said it came from the "forested area" and he intended to
give it to an NSman who was having his birthday that day as a present.
So what did you say to Tay, asked Assistant Public Prosecutor S Puspha.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli said he could not recall if he replied or not.
But he thought the cigarettes should have been seized instead.
This was when Tay took out $50 and offered it to him, he told the court.
He claimed Tay asked him if he would "keep quiet" ifhe took the money.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli said he responded by asking him what he meant by offering him money.
"He replied that the illegal immigrant had a lot of money, and he had $300, enough to share with everyone," he said.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli added he did not see the $300, and he did not know if the money came from the illegal immigrant.
He said he saw Tay then wrap the carton of illegal cigarettes with old newspapers in the rest area. Money for cake
He said he eventually took the $50, passed to him by Constable Ng, but
said that he accepted it only to buy a cake for the party.
He returned the money afterwards.
At around 3pm to 4pm, he went to the canteen in Ang Mo Kio North NPC,
where the birthday celebration for the NSman was being held.
This was after he settled another case.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli said he saw that the birthday boy had a rectangular
box wrapped in newspaper, similar to the shape of the contraband
cigarettes.
Tay's lawyer Victor Yip, asked him why he didn't prevent the contraband cigarettes from being given as a gift.
Staff Sgt Zulkifli told the court: "I did not know what to do because
what Sgt Tay was doing was wrong, and I knew if I were to bring the
matter up, he may face consequences."
He accepted Mr Yip's statement that after an arrest is made, there should be an account given of the items seized.
Then why his hesitance?
"Because Tay is my colleague and it is different from other cases where an arrrest was made," he said.
[email protected]
This article was first published in The New Paper.
http://www.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNe...20-211457.html
he will kana whacked by fellow cops while s'poreans will now don't know whether to bribe or not.
He will get a promotion
anything to suggest the system doesn't work in singapore will be quashed immediately. i think he has done a good job. SPF should go reflect how come it took in so many crooks at one go.
Get $300 first, pay $100,000 later. Wah.... This police officer fails Maths fail like siao.
Originally posted by dechang:He will get a promotion
But the raid was 'unauthorized' to start with...
ST (print)- 21Aug2010 says other 4 cops who took $ "not charged"
XinMSN says " will be dealt with at a later date. "
Now defense lawyer seems to argue that the $ was not bribe but their 'rightful' shares of the 'loot'- a determined (%) share distributable by prior agreement amongst all members of the "unauthorized raid", so trying to throw mud at prosec witness- Staff Sergeant Zulkifli Mohamad et al. So its like a circus like dat in court I guess.
Think the appeal would be interesting. Press should get more wind about police 'ECAs'- they are bored n too free....
So dunno what the outcome is after >1 yr since incident occurred.
Must incr Jr Police pay and up their training opportunities I feel...
That said, Staff Sergeant Zulkifli Mohamad should at least keep his job even if he's too clown for a promotion(only if the SSG passes a lie detection test) .
Questions remain if his 'initiative' is recognised.
His other options for work include VWOs, since he must have had much experience w the 'rough n tough' in society (spends his free time conducting unauthorized raids) or as security manager at an MNC where perhaps his personal initiatives might be better appreciated then within the 'stifling' civil service police force.
Good prospect man. Great Money. Knn la. 50 too little. Should at least 5k - 10k each. Sure all keep quiet. 50 buck. Go to hell la. I pao to u den i promote. More than just this 50 bucks. Math failed la.