SINGAPORE - An Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer molested his female colleague while she was manning a counter at Woodlands Checkpoint during heavy traffic.

He used the pretext of discussing breast cancer to touch his victim's breast three times on March 7, 2015.

Sa'dollah Shukor, who had been suspended from work since October 2015, was found guilty in October after a four-day trial and was jailed for 14 months on Tuesday (Nov 29).

The 59-year-old was a senior checkpoint inspector and deployed as an assistant duty officer when he sat beside the 24-year-old victim and started chatting about breast cancer.

He asked if she had gone for breast screening and she said yes, hoping it would end there because she was uncomfortable talking to him about it. But he went on talking and she responded with curt answers.

He then touched and lifted her breast for a few seconds. She was shocked, scared and helpless and did not say anything.

About two minutes later, he touched her again.

She testified that she was angry and felt like punching him.

He repeated the act a third time.

She was in tears when she told several of her female colleagues what Sa'dollah had done to her, and was advised to inform her team leader or the Senior Assistant Commissioner.

She also told her boyfriend and he took her to a neighbourhood police centre to lodge a police report the same day.

Sa'dollah's defence was one of bare denial.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Kavita Uthrapathy prosecuted the case while Sa'dollah was represented by Mr Ramachandran Shiever Subramaniam.

The maximum penalty for using criminal force to outrage modesty is two years' jail, a fine, caning or any combined punishment on each charge.