SINGAPORE: A 31-year-old Ghanaian man was sentenced to two weeks’ jail on Monday (Nov 11) for attempting to bribe a Certis Cisco officer at Changi Airport.
Bukari Salam Kuka offered a bribe to Certis Cisco Pass Office Supervisor Mohammad Aijaz Ahmad in the hope that he would be allowed to enter Singapore or permitted to travel to another country, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a press release
Investigations revealed that Bukari had transited through Singapore to arrive at Phnom Penh in Cambodia for a holiday. However, he was denied entry into Cambodia and returned to Singapore on Oct 23 this year.
At Changi Airport, Bukari was interviewed by an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer and was informed that arrangements would be made for him to take a flight back to Ghana.
Bukari was then escorted to a holding room for people who were denied entry into Singapore.
In the holding room, Mohammad Aijaz attended to administrative matters concerning Bukari’s case.
After Mohammad Aijaz had performed his duty, Bukari offered to pay him an unspecified sum of money in return for helping him to enter Singapore or allowing him to travel to another country other than Ghana.
Mohammad Aijaz rejected the bribe and reported the matter to CPIB. The next day, Bukari was charged in court with offering a bribe to Mohammad Ajjaz.
The CPIB said it would like to commend Mohammad Ajjaz for his act of integrity.
“If not kept in check, corrupt acts can compromise border security and result in serious consequences for public security and safety. Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. It is a serious offence to bribe, or attempt to offer bribes to another individual or entity,” it added.
Those found guilty of a corruption offence can be fined up to S$100,000 and/or jailed for up to five years.
More here. PR – No Corrupt Entry Into Singapore
Source: CNA/zl
