Singapore jails ex-top official in sex case
Source: Agencies |
June 14, 2013, Friday
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Print Edition
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A JUDGE sentenced Singapore's former chief of emergency services to six months in jail yesterday for accepting an offer of sex from a woman who sought business favors.
Corruption convictions involving senior government officials are rare in this city-state that prides itself on facing very few graft cases.
Peter Lim, former commissioner of Singapore's Civil Defense Force, was found guilty last month of receiving oral sex in May 2010 from a woman who wanted government contracts.
District court judge Hamidah Ibrahim imposed a six-month jail sentence yesterday, saying a mere fine "would not be appropriate as it would trivialize the severity of corruption."
"Every misdemeanor that a public servant commits ... unfairly casts a negative light on the public service as a whole," she said.
Lim remained free on bail pending an appeal. He had been the commissioner of the main government agency responsible for emergency and rescue services, including firefighting.
During his trial, Lim claimed the sex occurred in a "spontaneous" manner after the woman begged him. Lim's lawyer pointed out that no contracts were later awarded to the woman's firm.
Lim recently acknowledged he also had trysts with two other women who worked for companies that were technology suppliers for the Civil Defense Force. The maximum penalty for corruption is a five-year sentence and a fine of S$100,000 (US$79,500).
A former law professor was last week sentenced to five months in jail for accepting sex and gifts from a student in exchange for giving her good grades, while the former chief of Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau was acquitted of also corruptly obtaining sexual favors in February.
Corruption convictions involving senior government officials are rare in this city-state that prides itself on facing very few graft cases.
Peter Lim, former commissioner of Singapore's Civil Defense Force, was found guilty last month of receiving oral sex in May 2010 from a woman who wanted government contracts.
District court judge Hamidah Ibrahim imposed a six-month jail sentence yesterday, saying a mere fine "would not be appropriate as it would trivialize the severity of corruption."
"Every misdemeanor that a public servant commits ... unfairly casts a negative light on the public service as a whole," she said.
Lim remained free on bail pending an appeal. He had been the commissioner of the main government agency responsible for emergency and rescue services, including firefighting.
During his trial, Lim claimed the sex occurred in a "spontaneous" manner after the woman begged him. Lim's lawyer pointed out that no contracts were later awarded to the woman's firm.
Lim recently acknowledged he also had trysts with two other women who worked for companies that were technology suppliers for the Civil Defense Force. The maximum penalty for corruption is a five-year sentence and a fine of S$100,000 (US$79,500).
A former law professor was last week sentenced to five months in jail for accepting sex and gifts from a student in exchange for giving her good grades, while the former chief of Singapore's Central Narcotics Bureau was acquitted of also corruptly obtaining sexual favors in February.
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