SINGAPORE, Sept 26 — A staff sergeant with the Singapore Police Force was charged yesterday for allegedly having his palm greased to help a suspect in an investigation avoid prosecution.
Woo Poh Liang, 28, faces two counts of corruptly obtaining S$35,000 (RM107,925) in gratification to help Beltran Angelo Salvador, a Filipino, avoid court action for uttering words or gestures intended to insult a woman’s modesty.
He allegedly received S$25,000 from Salvador at a taxi stand near Outram ParkT station on Sept 17 last year, and another S$10,000 on the same day in an interview room at the Clementi Police Division.
The money has not been accounted for so far, according to the prosecution. Woo, who joined the police in June 2008, has been suspended from service since Jan 29. If convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Woo faces up to five years’ jail and a fine of up to S$100,000 for each charge.
Woo was also charged today with 11 counts of buying lottery tickets worth S$2,164 from someone called Tan Zhi Liang Gordon. The court heard that Woo allegedly bought the tickets, with values of S$40 to S$432, between May 28 and July 19 last year.
He faces another charge for acting as a runner for a bookmaker named Sebastian Woon during the FIFA World Cup on June 23 last year, and six counts of betting S$24,900 on matches with Woon.
The bets, allegedly placed between June 22 and July 2 last year, range between S$500 and S$9,500. Woo was offered S$30,000 bail and said he has sought a lawyer. His pre-trial conference is on Oct 22.
If found guilty of acting as a runner for a bookmaker, he faces up to five years’ jail and a fine of up to S$200,000.
He could be jailed up to six months and/or fined S$5,000 for each count of betting with a bookmaker and buying a lottery ticket. — TODAY
