China national, 38, gets 8 weeks' jail for offering S$100 bribe to 3 S'pore police officers & saying it isn't a big enough amount to be real bribe

This is Singapore, not China.

Belmont Lay | July 19, 2022, 12:22 AM

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A 38-year-old man, a China national, was on July 18 sentenced to eight weeks' jail in Singapore for trying to bribe three traffic police officers with S$100 "coffee money" after he was suspected of drink-driving, CNA, Straits Times and Today reported.

He did this because he did not want to miss his flight back to China the next day.

He was convicted on June 21 at the end of a five-day trial on three charges of corruptly offering S$100 in cash to the officers.

Han had claimed during the trial that he was offering the money as payment for a fine.

The prosecution later proved that he knew that he was offering a bribe.

What happened

On Dec. 3, 2019, Han Shaolu was resting in his parked car at an open-space car park in Geylang when two officers approached him, ST reported.

Court documents stated that two officers were sent to the open-air car park at Geylang Lorong 31 between 11.30pm and 11.45pm on Dec. 3, 2019 to attend to a case of possible drink-driving when they encountered Han driving a black Toyota Harrier, Today reported.

Han responded in Mandarin when he was asked questions in English, resulting in the police officers being unable to understand him.

One police officer retrieved a breathalyser when Han was noticed to have smelled of alcohol.

Waved money around

ST reported that Han took out his identification cards and two S$50 notes and waved them at both officers.

A third officer was put on a call to translate what Han was saying.

The third officer then came to understand that the S$100 was an offer to the two officers to give Han a chance and let him go, and the amount could be raised to "S$150", Today reported.

One of the officers on the scene told the officer over the phone to inform Han he would be arrested for bribery.

Third officer arrived

The officers’ team leader was also informed and he made his way to the car park and asked Han if he had offered money to the officers, ST reported.

Han admitted he did but asked to be let go as he said it was not serious, and even offered the money to the third officer.

Han added that S$100 was not a bribe as the amount had to be in thousands of dollars before being "considered a bribe" in China, court documents stated, as reported by ST.

The third officer at the scene told Han that even 20 cents would constitute a bribe.

CPIB statement

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a news release that the officers did not accept the bribe, and reported the case to CPIB.

Han was charged in court for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Anyone who is convicted of a corruption offence can be jailed up to five years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.

Top photos via CPIB & Google Maps