4 week’s imprisonment for offering $200 bribe to NEA officer

A 61-year-old Singaporean man was sentenced to 4 week’s imprisonment after pleading guilty last month to corruptly offering a bribe to an NEA officer in 2019.

• He pleaded guilty in the State Courts of Singapore.
• At the material time, the man was caught by NEA officers for smoking under a covered walkway in Yishun. When the NEA officers were recording the man’s particulars, he offered one of them $200 cash.
• The Court was told that the man was previously diagnosed with major depressive disorder and he was undergoing treatment but presented no danger to his patients. His psychiatrist said that he was suffering a “deterioration in his mental state” recently.
• It is unclear whether he was represented by a Criminal Defence Lawyer during the presentation of his mitigation plea and when the Court imposed the sentence.

Corruptly offering gratification is an offence under section 5(b) of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Cap 241) which states:

5. Any person who shall by himself or by or in conjunction with any other person —
(a) corruptly solicit or receive, or agree to receive for himself, or for any other person; or
(b) corruptly give, promise or offer to any person whether for the benefit of that person or of another person,
any gratification as an inducement to or reward for, or otherwise on account of —
(i) any person doing or forbearing to do anything in respect of any matter or transaction whatsoever, actual or proposed; or
(ii) any member, officer or servant of a public body doing or forbearing to do anything in respect of any matter or transaction whatsoever, actual or proposed, in which such public body is concerned

A person convicted of this offence can be punished with a fine not exceeding $100,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or to both.

More information on the case may be found here.