MHA establishes Independent Review Panel

SINGAPORE — The Ministry of Home Affairs established an Independent Review Panel (IRP) today (Aug 1) to bolster the Home Team’s system for reviewing internal investigations into allegations of wrongdoing or misconduct by Home Team officers.

When directed by the Minister for Home Affairs, the IRP will review the internal investigations into cases of serious alleged misconduct by an officer in his official capacity.

Examples include cases which have resulted in death or serious injury, cases which obstruct, prevent, pervert or defeat the course of justice, or where it is in the public interest to do so.

The IRP will also provide its opinion to the Minister on whether the internal investigations are thorough and fair, and whether there are any areas that need to be further investigated. The IRP is advisory in nature, and is neither an investigation body nor a disciplinary body.

The IRP, appointed by the Minister for Home Affairs for a term of two years, is currently chaired by retired Supreme Court judge Mr Goh Joon Seng, and comprises 18 other members, including former senior Home Team officers and prominent persons from such diverse backgrounds as the legal, medical and accounting professions.