Man gets 4 weeks' jail for offering $200 bribe to NEA officer over smoking offence

SINGAPORE - A 61-year-old man has been sentenced to four weeks' imprisonment on Monday (March 16) for offering a $200 bribe to a National Environmental Agency (NEA) officer.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement that Wong Sin Wah tried to bribe his way out of a smoking offence on June 20, 2019.

He was spotted smoking under a covered walkway in Yishun by two NEA enforcement officers who were on routine patrol.

One of them, Mr Gobinath Munusamy, told Wong that it is an offence to smoke under a sheltered walkway and asked him for his identification card.

Wong complied and began asking Mr Munusamy for leniency.

While Mr Munusamy was entering Wong's particulars into a hand-held device, Wong offered him four $50 notes.

Mr Munusamy rejected the bribe and reported it to the CPIB.

Wong was charged on Aug 28, 2019, with one count of corruptly offering a bribe of $200 to Mr Munusamy, an offence punishable under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The CPIB commended Mr Munusamy for rejecting the bribe.

"Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. It is a serious offence to bribe or attempt to bribe public officers," CPIB said.

Anyone found guilty of a corruption offence can be fined up to $100,000, sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years, or both.

Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.