Cop jailed for being senior member of secret society
A police officer was sentenced to a year in jail yesterday for being a senior member of a secret society and the headman of a motorcycle gang.
Umar Hassan, 38, a senior staff sergeant attached to the Singapore Police Force's Ang Mo Kio Division, pleaded guilty last month to two counts of being a member of an unlawful society.
Umar had been a policeman for about 18 years since joining the police force in 1999, the court heard.
He set up his motorcycle group with three others in 2001, and he was later recruited into another secret society and made a senior member six years later.
In October 2008, he approached the assistant headman of the second gang to get his motorcycle group affiliated to it.
The assistant headman agreed to this arrangement, the court heard.
Umar was arrested on Nov 18, 2016, after police learnt about a video clip that showed a group of men chanting gang slogans at a wedding. He was in a WhatsApp chat group of the motorcycle gang and was aware that his gang members were providing escort for the wedding, as the matter was discussed in the chat.
Umar has been suspended from service in the police since Dec 14 last year.
He is out on bail of $5,000 to settle personal matters and has to surrender himself at the State Courts on July 4.
The police said yesterday they are commencing disciplinary proceedings against Umar, "with a view to dismissing him from service".
Earlier this month, the police said they had reviewed screening processes for future potential officers.
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