Ex-MOM (Ministry of Manpower) investigator jailed for bribery charge

A FORMER senior investigation officer of the Ministry of Manpower was jailed for six months and ordered to pay a penalty of $1,000 on Tuesday for corruption.

Gordon Tan Hock Lye, 34, then attached to MOM's Foreign Manpower Management Division, had pleaded guilty to getting a $1,000 bribe from Chinese national Wu Hui Xia, 42, to close the matter of her arrest by the police on Dec 31, 2005 and not prosecute her.

The incident took place at Hua Ji coffee shop along Joo Chiat Road on Jan 23, 2006. The court heard that Ms Wu, who came to Singapore in May 2005, was arrested twice by the authorities for working illegally as a masseuse.

When Tan, who came to know her in end-August (05), found out about her arrest in early 2006, he warned her that she would be charged. He also offered to help her close the case for $3,000.

A few days later, they met at Hua Ji coffeeshop where Tan again said he would help her close the matter of her arrest on Dec 31, 2005, and warned her of the consequences if she did not agree. He demanded $3,000 from her and gave her a deadline to cough out the money.

On Jan 22, 2006 - a day before the deadline - Ms Wu reported him to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Tan was arrested at the coffee shop the next day after the money was handed over to him. He could have been fined up to $100,000 and/or jailed for up to five years.