Drunk driver who offered S$55 in bribes to Traffic Police gets 4 weeks' jail, S$5,000 fine

SINGAPORE — For offering S$55 in bribes to a traffic police officer, as well as other traffic offences, Krishna Rao Narisama Naidoo was jailed for four weeks and fined S$5,000. 

The 34-year-old Malaysian man was also disqualified from holding or obtaining all classes for driving licences for 30 months.

In a statement on Wednesday (May 11), the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said that Krishna was involved in a motorcycle accident along Pioneer Road in the western part of Singapore on Nov 21 last year. 

Senior Staff Sergeant Muhammad Azhar and Second Sergeant Firhan Abdul Rashid arrived at the scene where Krishna admitted to the officers that he had consumed alcohol. 

"Krishna first slipped a S$5 note to Sergeant Firhan and said to him, 'Please help'," CPIB said. 

The two officers continued to interview the accused and a breathalyser test was done on Krishna. He failed the test.

Sergeant Firhan then conducted a personal search on Krishna and placed him under arrest.

"In the course of the personal search, Krishna retrieved a S$50 note from his bag and offered the money to Sergeant Firhan, as an inducement to omit investigating him for traffic offences," CPIB added. 

No bribe was accepted by the officers, and the case was reported to the CPIB. Krishna was charged on Feb 16 this year with corruption under the Road Traffic Act. 

In addition to his corruption offences, Krishna was also convicted and sentenced for drink driving and careless driving as a serious offender under the Road Traffic Act.

"Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption," CPIB said.

"Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to S$100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years or both." 

The bureau added that the public may file a complaint at CPIB's website should they have any corruption-related complaints and reports.