ICA officer who sought sexual favours from immigration offenders gets three years’ jail
Chin Peng Sum, an officer of over 20 years with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA), was handed a jail sentence of three years, higher than what prosecutors sought.
SINGAPORE — An officer with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority of Singapore (ICA) who corruptly obtained sexual gratification from immigration offenders was on Wednesday (Jan 2) sentenced to three years’ jail.
Chin Peng Sum, 51, a staff sergeant, had pleaded guilty last week to 10 charges for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act and Official Secrets Act, as well as for obstructing justice.
In sentencing Chin, District Judge Jasbendar Kaur said the nature of his acts was “most disconcerting”.
She imposed a sentence higher than what prosecutors sought to show the courts’ “firm and uncompromising stance for offences of this nature”, and to reflect “the gravity of the offences”.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutor Loh Hui-Min, had asked for a jail term of between 24 and 28 months.
Chin’s offences showed an “extensive abuse of power”, said the judge.
“It undermines the ICA’s immigration… (and) foreigner management,” she added.
“You attempted to derail investigations and instigated the foreigners to do so (as well),” said the District Judge, who noted that all of Chin’s offences were “deliberate”.
ABOUT THE CASE
Between the end of 2016 and early 2017, Chin met three Chinese women — Zhu Shirong, Wang Chenghong and Tang Yuanyuan — in the course of his work, which included conducting operations to arrest immigration offenders.
The trio were arrested for immigration offences.
Chin contacted them and told them he was in a position to recommend extensions of their Special Passes to allow them to remain in Singapore after their cases concluded.
He contacted Zhu and Wang for massages as well as sexual services on several occasions in 2017.
Having received information about impending raids by the ICA and enforcement agencies, Chin divulged confidential information to Zhu, Wang and Tang about raids in 2017 as he wanted to prevent their arrests.
He also wanted to give them the impression that he was protecting them, the court heard. His ploy worked and the three women 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.
When he knew about the police’s investigations, Chin told Wang to delete incriminatory WeChat messages, while he deleted messages he sent to the trio.
Chin will begin serving his sentence on Wednesday. The ICA previously said it would begin internal disciplinary proceedings against Chin “with a view to dismiss him from service”.
