ICA officer pleads guilty to obtaining sexual favours from immigration offenders
ICA officer Chin Peng Sum, 51, faces 33 charges of abusing his authority, including accepting sexual favours from two women. (Photo: TODAY/Koh Mui Fong)
SINGAPORE: An officer with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) on Friday (Dec 28) admitted to obtaining sexual favours from women who had been arrested for immigration offences.
Staff Sergeant Chin Peng Sum, 51, also relayed information about impending raids by ICA to three women from China whom he met in the course of his work.
Chin, who has been with the ICA for about 20 years, pleaded guilty to various charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Official Secrets Act, as well as charges for obstructing justice.
The court heard that Chin met three women from China in the course of his work - which included conducting operations to arrest immigration offenders - between end 2016 to early 2017.
The women - Zhu Shirong, Wang Chenghong and Tang Yuanyuan - had been arrested for immigration offences and were on Special Passes while their cases were ongoing.
Chin contacted the women from time to time and told them that he was in a position to recommend extensions of their Special Passes to allow them to remain in Singapore after their cases concluded.
HE RECEIVED SEXUAL SERVICES FROM TWO WOMEN FOR FREE
In 2017, Chin asked Zhu if she could provide massage services to him, even though he knew he was not allowed to approach alleged immigration offenders for such services.
He believed that Zhu would give him a discount since she knew he could recommend the extension of her Special Pass, Deputy Public Prosecutor Loh Hui-Min said.
They met at her home in Geylang, where Zhu massaged Chin. Chin asked her if her sexual services were good, and she offered to perform them on him.
They had sex and Zhu rejected Chin's payment of S$100, saying that her services were free. Chin left without paying.
He met Zhu again for a massage and sex a month later, again not paying her for the services.
Chin also approached Wang for a massage last year, and Wang gave him a massage and performed a sexual act on him. He asked if he could get a 50 per cent discount off her S$100 rate, and Wang said the services were free.
He met her again the following month for the same services and did not pay her for them.
HE WANTED TO GIVE THEM THE IMPRESSION HE WAS PROTECTING THEM
As a staff sergeant attached to the ICA, Chin received information such as dates and locations from his superiors about impending raids by ICA and other enforcement agencies.
He knew that such information was strictly confidential, the prosecutor said, but still told Wang, Zhu and Tang about raids in February and March last year, as he wanted to prevent their arrests.
He also wanted to give them the impression that he was protecting them, the prosecutor said. His ploy worked and the three women successfully evaded capture.
Chin's communications with the women were uncovered in May 2017 when Zhu was arrested by the police for vice activities.
Police found messages from Chin to Zhu about the raids, as well as enquiries on massage services.
After Chin was informed that investigations were commencing, he contacted Wang and told her to delete incriminatory WeChat messages between them, while he deleted messages he had sent to the three women.
The prosecution asked for a jail term of between 24 and 28 months, noting that Chin was a law enforcement officer of some seniority.
He will be back in court for sentencing next month.
In response to Channel NewsAsia's queries, ICA said it reported Chin to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau, and he has been suspended from duties since June last year.
Now that he has been convicted, ICA "will commence civil service disciplinary proceedings against him with a view to dismiss him from service", it said.
