SINGAPORE: A former police staff sergeant has been sentenced to 10 weeks’ jail on Thursday.
Idris Makrob,37, formerly a staff sergent serving at the Intelligence Division of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), faced four counts of disciplinary offence under the Police Force Act, but the prosecution proceeded with two counts.
Idris started to frequent a pub known as Joudan Sing-A-Long at Changi Village Road in 2006 and became acquainted with the pub’s five major shareholders.
Between October 2007 and February 2008, Idris found out that a minor shareholder wanted to sell his stake worth about S$3,000.
Idris took the opportunity to ask two of the five men if he could have a 2.5 per cent share within this stake, valued at S$1,500. The two major shareholders agreed and Idris paid them S$500.
The court was told that Idris did not have to pay the full sum as he was deemed as someone who could provide “assistance” on matters relating to the operations of the pub. At that time the pub employed Filipinos without valid work permits.
Idris was under duty to get permission from the Commissioner of Police to become a shareholder in the pub but he failed to do so. As such, he committed a disciplinary offence and was sentenced to 10 week’s jail on each of the two charges. The district judge ordered him to serve the sentences concurrently.
In sentencing, the district judge said while he took Idris’ mitigation into consideration, he said the nature of the offence is serious. He told Idris that being a police officer, he failed to conduct himself in a professional manner.
