ICA officer charged with accepting bribes
An Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) sergeant was hauled to court on corruption charges yesterday.
Catherine Lim Zhi Yin, now 26, allegedly accepted or agreed to accept bribes totalling $1,680 as a reward for granting 30-day social visit passes to 28 Thai women.
Lim, who was unrepresented, faces seven counts of corruption.
She is accused of accepting or agreeing to accept the monies from Singaporean Raymond Lim Boon Ian, now 36, between December 2014 and February 2015.
Raymond Lim, who was dealt with in court on April 24, has been sentenced to eight months' jail for corruption.
Court papers did not mention why the Thai women were in Singapore.
The court heard that Lim intends to plead guilty to her offences and wants to apply to the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme for assistance.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, ICA said that Lim has been interdicted from service since March 7, 2015.
The ICA said it takes a serious view of errant officers. "As guardians of Singapore's checkpoints, ICA officers are expected to discharge their duties professionally and maintain a high standard of integrity," it added.
The authority also said it had worked closely with the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau when the case surfaced through ICA's internal checks and investigations.
Lim is out on bail and will be back in court on Oct 12.
Offenders convicted of corruption can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $100,000 for each charge. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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