CNB officer who lied to judge during colleague’s 2021 assault trial gets 18 months’ jail
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SINGAPORE – A Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) sergeant gave false testimony in court at an earlier trial involving his colleague, who was accused of assaulting a drug offender at the time.
During the trial in 2021, Muhammad Heykal Rahman, who had nearly 10 years of work experience with the bureau, denied seeing his then colleague Vengedesh Raj Nainar Nagarajan assaulting Sivabalan Kanniappan.
However, the court heard that when Sivabalan, a Malaysian, pleaded with Heykal to help stop the assault, Heykal told him: “I cannot do anything. If he (beats) you, then he (beats) you.”
On Dec 23, Heykal, 36, was sentenced to a year and six months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to one count of giving false evidence to District Judge Salina Ishak during Vengedesh’s trial.
Another charge of giving false information to a police officer in 2018 during an investigation into the assault was considered during sentencing.
He had committed the offences to cover up Vengedesh’s wrongdoing.
In an earlier statement sent to The Straits Times, CNB did not mention if Heykal is still an officer with the bureau.
However, a CNB spokesperson said it had investigated the complaint against Vengedesh and referred the case to the police for criminal investigation.
Referring to Vengedesh as “Raj” , Deputy Public Prosecutor Joseph Gwee said on Dec 23: “(Heykal’s) actions were serious and jeopardised the judicial process.
“Based on (Heykal’s) testimony, the learned district judge in Raj’s case could have wrongfully acquitted Raj of his wrongdoing.”
Vengedesh, then 35, was sentenced to five years’ jail in April 2022
He was also fined $4,000 after admitting to an unrelated harassment charge for using abusive words on a policeman.
Sivabalan, then 34, was convicted of drug offences and given 15 years’ jail with 13 strokes of the cane. DPP Gwee did not give details about these offences.
Sivabalan was stopped for an inspection when he entered Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint around 3.40am on Jan 2, 2017.
A blue bundle, suspected to contain controlled drugs, was found in a raincoat bag inside the rear box of his motorcycle.
Sivabalan was handed over to the CNB’s Woodlands team and an officer recorded a statement from him.
In the statement, Sivabalan denied knowledge of the blue bundle. He claimed he had lent his motorcycle to his roommate, known as “Sivan”.
Sivabalan later provided a urine sample. Vengedesh, then a corporal with the bureau, arrived at the Woodlands Checkpoint CNB office that morning after he was activated to attend to the case.
When the two men met, Sivabalan noticed that Vengedesh reeked of alcohol, the court heard in earlier proceedings.
Vengedesh, who wanted to secure a “quick confession” from Sivabalan, took the Malaysian to a toilet and Heykal followed them.
DPP Gwee said: “Between 5.58am and 6.14am in the toilet, Raj voluntarily caused hurt to Sivabalan by kicking, punching and slapping him for the purpose of extorting... a confession that Sivabalan knew about the... bundle of drugs.
“As a result of Raj’s actions, Sivabalan admitted he knew about (the drugs). At all material times, (Heykal) was present in the toilet when Raj committed the said assault on Sivabalan.”
Vengedesh was later charged in court over the assault and claimed trial. During his trial, Sivabalan testified that Heykal was standing near the toilet door, observing the assault.
However, when Heykal took the stand, he told the court that he was too busy looking through devices, including Sivabalan’s mobile phone, at the time.
DPP Gwee said: “(Heykal) additionally claimed in court that Raj spoke in a normal tone with Sivabalan in the toilet, whereas Raj and Sivabalan both testified that he had questioned Sivabalan in a loud voice.
“(Heykal) was also unable to explain why he had remained in the toilet with Sivabalan.”
When asked about what had transpired between him and Sivabalan after Vengedesh left the toilet at 6.14am, Heykal provided very tentative answers.
CCTV footage later showed that Heykal was in the toilet during the assault and he was charged in court in 2023
