Senior police officer gets jail for pocketing S$43,000 meant as restitution to victim

SINGAPORE: A veteran police officer tasked to investigate a case of criminal breach of trust asked the suspect to make restitution to the victim, but proceeded to pocket the sum.

Over about four years between 2013 and 2017, Senior Station Inspector Mohamed Mohamed Jalil took S$43,000 (US$31,470) from the suspect and her husband.

Mohamed, a 54-year-old Singaporean, was sentenced to three years' jail on Friday (Sep 22) for his crimes.

The officer, who has been suspended since July 2020, pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal breach of trust by misappropriation as a public servant. A fourth similar charge was considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Mohamed joined the Singapore Police Force (SPF) in 1989. At the time of the crimes, he was a senior station inspector attached to the investigation branch of Tanglin Division.

In April 2012, he was appointed as the investigating officer for a case between two female housemates. The victim had lodged a police report in March 2012, alleging that the suspect had pawned her jewellery and taken money handed over for purported investment.

Mohamed told the suspect that she had to make restitution of around S$80,000 to the victim for the jewellery and money.

He did so despite having no approval to ask for restitution, and despite knowing that he had to obtain such approval before making such an arrangement, said the prosecutor.

The suspect trusted Mohamed and began handing over restitution in various amounts over four years.

At first, she handed over cash, but this changed to bank transfers or deposits to Mohamed's personal bank account. At times, Mohamed would meet the suspect and her husband at car parks or malls to collect the money.

In total, he collected S$43,000 from the suspect-turned-victim between 2013 and 2017. Investigations revealed that he did not hand any of the money to the victim.

Instead, he used the money to make rental payments and maintenance payments to his ex-wife. He also used it on his travel expenses.

In 2020, the victim's daughter informed SPF that Mohamed had returned some of the misappropriated jewellery without proper documentation. She also said she had not been able to contact Mohamed since October 2019, in her bid to claim the remaining restitution.

The offences were subsequently uncovered, and Mohamed was suspended on Jul 16, 2020.

ACCUSED HAD ALMOST 25 YEARS' EXPERIENCE

The prosecutor sought three years' jail for Mohamed, saying his offences were "very, very wrong". He pointed to how SPF is the main law enforcement agency in Singapore, with a large scale of powers.

The harm caused in this case was not just to the victim, but to the level of trust that society places in SPF.

Mohamed had almost 25 years' experience and the trust "reposed in him by SPF and the country" was greater than another precedent case used to compare this case with.

However, the prosecutor said he had considered Mohamed's "timely plea of guilt".

Asked by the judge if the offences here were difficult to detect, the prosecutor agreed. 

He said this was linked to the level of trust placed in senior officers in the force. Given the volume of cases dealt with day to day, it is "hard" to supervise every case, he said.

Mohamed, who was unrepresented, said he committed the offences out of "folly" and pleaded for leniency.

The prosecution did not seek compensation, saying that Mohamed does not have the financial means to pay it.

District Judge Brenda Chua said the reputation of law enforcement agencies "cannot be taken for granted and must be protected".

"As a law enforcement officer, the accused did not uphold the law, but instead used his position to commit the offences," she said.

She allowed Mohamed to begin his jail term next Friday.

In response to CNA's queries, the police said on Saturday they had commenced "internal action" against Mohamed.

Prior to this, he had been removed from duties and interdicted on Jul 16, 2020, after the offences against him were surfaced through the police's regular case reviews.