On 22 October 2024, Aung Moe Hlaing, a 33-year-old Myanmar national, was sentenced to 12 days’ jail, after he entered a guilty plea to one charge under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
This incident took place on 25 March 2024, near Heartland Mall in Kovan, as two enforcement officers from Cisco Auxiliary Police, who were attached to the NEA, were conducting enforcement patrols to spot environment related offences such as littering and spitting, caught Aung at 9.40 am discarding a cigarette butt into the drain, which prompted the officers to inform the Myanmar national of his offence.
How the Matter Escalated Quickly
When asked to present his identification to the officers, Aung said that he knew “a little bit” of English and for the officers to “give him a chance”, as found in the footage from the body-worn camera of the officer’s where Aung could be seen putting his hands together and pleading for another chance.
The officers rebutted by stating they would have to call the police to come down and verify the man’s particulars, and that they could not be lenient and give Aung “a chance”.
In a last ditch attempt, Aung took out a $10 bill from the back of his mobile cover and handed it out to the officer, which the officer swiftly rejected, asserting, “In Singapore, you cannot do this. Keep your money.”
Deputy Public Prosecutor Benjamin Low stated, “It is axiomatic(self-evident) that corruption offences are, and should continue to be, viewed with the greatest possible opprobrium(condemnation). A deterrent(discouragement) sentence is thus called for in the present case.”
Negotiating for a jail term of less than a week, Defence Lawyer Tania Chin of TSMP Law, defended Aung, by stating that Aung had a poor understanding of English and was frightened by the word “Police”, as he feared the police, associating them with “torture and brutality” due to his experiences in Myanmar.
In her own words, she said, “To Aung, who was born and raised in Myanmar, the police brought to mind images of torture and brutality, which would explain the fear and desperation he felt at the material time, which drove him to impulsively offer the $10 so that no enforcement action would be taken against him by the police.”
Aung was ultimately sentenced to 12 days’ jail.
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