A former supervisor at a bakery workshop has been sentenced to four weeks’ imprisonment for accepting bribes in exchange for helping to smuggle pills into Changi Prison.
Source: Google Maps
Calvin Ang Wei Sheng pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving gratification in exchange for purchasing Epam pills, a medication used to treat insomnia.
Three additional charges were also considered during sentencing.
The 40-year-old has since been slapped with a four-week jail term and ordered to pay a penalty of S$1,200.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Ang began working for New Hope Food Industries in March 2020.
During his stint as a supervisor at the workshop, he taught inmates how to make pastries.
As a civilian staff member, he was granted access to the prison compound and was subject to strict checks to ensure that no contraband items, such as mobile phones, were brought in.
While working there, Ang made friends with an inmate named Ismail Musun Mollah, 56.
In Aug or Sep 2021, Ismail approached Ang and offered him S$200 to help smuggle 100 Epam pills into the workshop.
Source: Facebook, for illustration purposes only
Despite knowing that the pills were contraband items, Ang agreed to the plan and purchased the pills in the Geylang area.
After the pills were smuggled in, Ismail transferred the money to Ang through PayNow.
Although the pills cost just S$50, Ismail told Ang to keep the remaining S$150, TODAY reports.
Other inmates soon became aware of Ang’s willingness to participate in such activities and began approaching him with similar requests.
Ang went on to smuggle pills into the workshop for four inmates a total of five times. The Straits Times (ST) reports that he received a total of S$1,200 in bribes.
Prison authorities eventually caught wind of the smuggling, and Ang was referred to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau for investigation.
He was terminated from his position in Oct 2021.
In court, the prosecutor sought a sentence of four to six weeks in prison.
He argued that Ang’s position as a trainer at the workshop, as well as the number of inmates involved in the smuggling incidents, demonstrated the deliberate and repeated nature of his offence.
Ang, who was unrepresented, requested a chance to turn over a new leaf. He said,
I’m sorry for what I did and I regret it. I have learnt my lesson.
CNA reports that Mr Ang has had lupus since he was a boy. This purportedly affected his brain development.
He was also recently treated for depression and anxiety disorder.
District Judge Janet Wang took into consideration Ang’s remorse but emphasised that the smuggled items posed a potential health risk.
She added that Ang had abused the privilege accorded to him to work in a gazetted environment.
In the end, Ang was sentenced to four weeks in jail and ordered to pay a penalty of S$1,200 for the bribes he received.
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Featured image adapted from Google Maps & Facebook, for illustration purposes only.
The authorities have investigated and closed the incident with no follow-ups required, MFA said.
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