A woman who offered a $10,000 bribe to a police officer was sentenced to four weeks' jail yesterday.

Zhu Kuai, 42, who is unemployed, admitted to offering the bribe to Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Chan Wai Hoong at Fortune Centre on April 14.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Vincent Ong said ASP Chan and two other police officers were sent to the Middle Road building that day after a tip-off about unlicensed massage establishments and condoms in a letterbox. On level 4, they came across LK Beauty Spa, which purported to offer beauty and spa services. They noticed Zhu sitting inside. When she saw them, she closed the unit's main door.

Sensing something amiss, the officers approached to talk to Zhu, who had previously worked at the unit but was not managing it anymore. Two bundles of keys were found in her handbag.

Suspecting one set of keys was for the unit's letterbox, ASP Chan suggested that Zhu take the officers there. She kept pleading with ASP Chan not to open the letterbox and asked to settle the matter privately with him. He ignored her.

She then admitted the letterbox held condoms used for providing sexual services. A black bag containing unused condoms was seized.

A female staff sergeant was recording her statement when Zhu asked to speak to ASP Chan in private, but he declined.

She then told him: "I give you $10,000." He rejected this and warned her not to bribe a public servant. Zhu, who has a conviction under the Massage Establishments Act, was later arrested.

Her lawyer Chung Ting Fai said the mother of two, who was from China but is now a Singapore citizen, regrets her actions. She could have been fined up to $100,000 and/or jailed for up to five years.