Most offenders were male and money was most common bribe: PMO study
By Bryna Singh, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2013
ENFORCEMENT officers, nearly all of whom were men, made up half of public officers investigated for graft and similar misconduct over the past five years.
Money was also the most common type of bribe, with cases involving sex accounting for just 11 per cent.
This is what a new study, prompted by the recent spate of high-profile cases involving public officers, established.
Commissioned by the Prime Minister's Office, it was meant to see if there were widespread issues in the public service system. The study was initially "classified" but the PMO made it public yesterday due to "public interest".
It showed that of the 996 cases handled by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), 197 or about one in five cases involved public officers. This works out to an average of 39 cases each year between 2008 and last year.
A third of these cases saw no need for further action after the officer was cleared, investigations proved inconclusive or the Attorney-General decided there was a lack of evidence. The rest of the cases led to criminal prosecution or disciplinary proceedings.
Male officers were the bulk of offenders, forming 92 per cent of those prosecuted or disciplined.
Half of these offenders, or 51 per cent, were also front-line officers whose job was to enforce laws. They included police and anti-narcotics officers and officials from the Housing Board, National Environment Agency and Manpower Ministry, among others.
The other half, or 49 per cent, consisted of those in technical and support roles, as well as those working in administration.
The most common accusation against those investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act was showing unwarranted leniency when doing their job (53 per cent). Twenty-one per cent gave unauthorised services and information, and 15 per cent granted favour in the form of employment and other opportunities.
In return, 6 per cent received sexual favours and 5 per cent got a combination of sex and money.
In 65 per cent of the cases, money was the sole form of illegal gratification. The amounts were usually less than $1,000, which was so for 40 per cent of cases. Cases involving bribes of over $100,000 made up 6 per cent.
Commenting on the results, head of the civil service Peter Ong said in an e-mail sent to the 136,000-strong public service that he was reassured by the findings as they show that "our system as a whole remains sound".
Indeed, Singapore was in fifth place in last year's Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International, which measures perceived levels of public sector corruption.
"We have a strong culture which rejects fraud and corruption," said the PMO yesterday, while highlighting how half the cases which led to prosecution and disciplinary action came from complaints within the civil service. About a third came from members of the public, and the rest from anonymous tipoffs.
These show that existing channels for reporting suspected wrongdoing "have proven useful in many cases", added the PMO.
No room for complacency: Civil service chief
By Bryna Singh, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2013
ALTHOUGH a study of investigations against public officers for corruption and other financial crimes has found that such cases remained low, the Public Service has said it cannot be complacent.
This is because public officers are in a position of trust and authority, said civil service head Peter Ong in an e-mail sent to the entire service yesterday.
"We owe it to our fellow Singaporeans to carefully guard their trust in us and the Public Service," he wrote. "Trust takes years to build, seconds to break, and a long time to repair."
Mr Ong's comments come after a spate of high-profile cases involving errant public officers, which he said raised questions over the integrity of the Public Service. This includes the latest one involving Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) officer Edwin Yeo, who was charged in court on Wednesday for allegedly siphoning funds from the agency and other related offences.
The study Mr Ong referred to was commissioned by the Prime Minister's Office to examine cases involving public officers opened by the CPIB and the police Commercial Affairs Department.
It found that the number of cases against errant officers has remained low and fairly stable over a five-year period.
The CPIB, for instance, conducts an average of 39 investigations involving public officers each year. These make up about one in five of all graft cases.
Said Mr Ong: "I am reassured by these findings as they show that our system as a whole remains sound. But we cannot be complacent. Every case is one too many."
He added that the Public Service has "zero tolerance for corruption" and said its leaders must lead by example and ensure that their actions are beyond reproach.
"The fact that senior officers have been charged in the courts for corruption and other financial crimes is a matter of concern, but it also underscores our deep resolve and commitment to bring all wrongdoers to justice and uphold integrity in the Public Service at all levels," he said. "We will not hesitate to take action against a corrupt officer, no matter how senior he or she might be."
MP Hri Kumar Nair, the chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Home Affairs and Law, agreed.
"People don't expect perfection from public officers, but when they fall, then firm and decisive action needs to be taken," he said. "The Public Service needs to uphold its integrity, and public officers are expected to conduct themselves at a higher standard than most others."
Review of casino rules for public officers
By Bryna Singh, The Straits Times, 27 Jul 2013
THE issue of whether tighter rules on public officers visiting casinos are needed has been included in the latest review of the public service code of conduct.
This was revealed by civil service head Peter Ong yesterday in an e-mail to the 136,000-strong public service, days after one of its own was hauled up to court for fraud and related offences.
Edwin Yeo, an assistant director from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB), was charged on Wednesday with siphoning funds from the anti- graft agency and using them to feed his gambling habit at the casino in Marina Bay Sands.
Mr Ong said he was disappointed by Yeo's case, and such incidents "cast a pall over the honest work done by the majority of public officers every day".
But he said the Public Service Division (PSD) will learn from the incident and tighten its processes.
"To this end, PSD will review if tighter rules with regard to visiting casinos should be put in place for the public service, especially those who work in areas where potential conflict of interest may arise or where there is a high risk of them becoming susceptible to being exploited," he added.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the PSD said there is no "across-the-board ban" on officers going to the casinos here. "Generally, public officers may visit casinos when they are off duty," it said. "However... some agencies have imposed restrictions."
Casino Regulatory Authority officers, for instance, have been banned from visiting casinos - both here and abroad - belonging to the parent companies of the two operators here since 2008.
Since 2009, the police have also instituted a ban on visits to the casinos for officers from its Casino Crime Investigation Branch and those in Central and Clementi police divisions, who cover both integrated resorts.
Other police officers and those from the Central Narcotics Bureau are required to declare casino visits to their supervisors within seven days of each visit.
The Straits Times understands that CPIB will follow suit with its own restrictions soon.
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