A 34-year-old police officer was found to have misappropriated more than S$90,000 in cash while he was an investigating officer (IO).

The funds were linked to 24 different cases.

He did so for more than three years, from 2017 to 2020. The funds were used to place football bets and pay off loans.

He also forged police acknowledgement slips to hide that he was appropriating the funds.

Mohamad Danial Mohamad Nazali pleaded guilty on Jun. 25, 2024, to eight counts of criminal breach of trust and five forgery charges.

He was sentenced on Jul. 23, 2024, to four years and four months in jail, The Straits Times (ST) reported.

Forging slips, misappropriating funds

As part of his duties as an IO, Danial had to facilitate the handover of monies as restitution from accused persons to victims.

When the money was handed to him by the accused person, Danial was under a duty to hand over the monies to the victims and lodge a police acknowledgement slip.

However, Danial instead appropriated the funds for himself.

He even forged acknowledgement slips to show that he had handed over the restitution monies to the victims when he did not do so.

Danial was arrested on Oct. 17, 2020, and released on police bail and had to surrender his passport.

He was interdicted from duty with effect from Oct. 22, 2020.

Danial has since made a partial restitution of S$7,600.

"Fundamental breach" of duty

On Tuesday during sentencing, District Judge Crystal Tan said that he had committed a “fundamental breach” of his duty by dishonestly misappropriating the money, Today reported.

The judge said that the court must consider not just the financial harm caused to victims by Danial's actions, but also how the investigation and handling of the cases may have been affected.

The judge added that Danial's action incurred "reputational harm" to the Singapore Police Force (SPF).

Aside from the eight counts of criminal breach of trust and five forgery charges he pleaded guilty to, 28 other charges were taken into consideration for his sentencing.

For each count of criminal breach of trust as a public servant, Danial could have been jailed for up to 20 years and fined.

For each count of forgery, he could have been jailed for up to four years, fined, or both.

In a statement on the case, SPF said:

"Officers of the Singapore Police Force are expected to uphold the law and maintain high standards of discipline and integrity. We deal severely with officers who break the law, including charging them in court.

After the offences against Mohamad Danial Bin Mohamad Nazali were surfaced through Police's regular case reviews, the officer was removed from his duties and was interdicted on 22 Oct 2020."

SPF also said that it will commence internal action against Danial.

Top photo from Bedok NPC/Facebook.