A 33-year-old man was sentenced to 12 days in jail after trying to bribe a National Environmental Agency (NEA) enforcement officer to avoid being reported for littering.
The incident occurred on 25 March at Heartland Mall in Kovan around 9.40am.
According to The Straits Times, Myanmar national Aung Moe Hliang was seen discarding a cigarette butt into a drain by two NEA enforcement officers from Certis Cisco Auxiliary Police.
Source: Heartland Mall
The officers approached Aung and informed him of his offence.
Struggling with English, Aung pleaded for leniency, putting his hands together in a gesture of appeal as seen in bodycam footage.
Despite his pleas, the officers asked for his identification, which Aung failed to produce.
He also reportedly asked them to give him a chance.
The officers refused his request and asked for his particulars again. When he did not produce identification, they told him to wait while they called the police to verify his identity.
Upon hearing this, Aung pulled out a S$10 note and offered it to one officer, hoping to be let off.
However, the officer promptly rejected the bribe, stating: “In Singapore, you cannot do this. Keep your money.”
Due to his actions, Aung faced one charge under the Prevention of Corruption Act in court.
The prosecution highlighted the brazen act of bribery and called for a deterrent sentence, citing the need to take bribery offences seriously.
Aung’s lawyer argued that he did not understand the English language well.
Furthermore, he feared the police, associating them with “torture and brutality” due to his experiences in Myanmar.
She explained that upon hearing the officers would call the police, Aung panicked and “impulsively” offered the S$10 bribe.
While the defence sought a lighter sentence of under a week, Aung was sentenced to 12 days in jail on 22 Oct.
Also read: Bangladeshi man tries to bribe ICA officers to let him enter S’pore, gets 1 month in jail
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