Ex-ICA officer admits falsely accusing ex-boss of taking indecent photos in public toilet

SINGAPORE — Unhappy with his former supervisor, an Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer sent emails to the ICA’s senior management, falsely alleging that the supervisor could have taken photographs of another man’s private parts at a hawker centre toilet.

Thomas Foo Jian Yao bought a mobile phone in Thailand and set up an email address under a fake name to avoid being caught by the authorities.

However, the long arm of the law soon caught up with him. The 29-year-old pleaded guilty on Monday (March 16) to giving false information to a public servant — an offence that carries up to a year in jail or a fine, or both.

He will return to court on April 16 to be sentenced.

In response to TODAY's queries, an ICA spokesperson said that Foo resigned from ICA last month after being interdicted from service ⁠— that is, suspended without pay ⁠— on Dec 5 last year.

"ICA officers are expected to maintain a high standard of integrity and conduct themselves professionally at all times. Officers who break the law will be dealt with, in accordance with the law," the spokesperson added.

The court heard that Foo, who then held the rank of assistant superintendent, was angry with the 46-year-old superintendent for discrediting him in front of his new supervisor.

Specifically, the victim had raised matters to Foo’s new boss instead of resolving them directly with him. Foo then hatched a plan to send a false complaint to the senior management of ICA.

‘I AM NOT GOING TO BLOW THINGS UP’

While on holiday in Phuket, Thailand on Aug 8 last year, he set up an email account after buying a mobile phone and SIM card.

He then used the phone to send his first email to nine senior ICA personnel, including the ICA commissioner and three deputy commissioners.

Under the name “Joseph”, Foo claimed that he was with his son in the men’s toilet at the Seah Im Food Centre — located opposite HarbourFront Centre — when he saw the victim using his phone with the camera function switched on.

The phone’s camera was pointing to someone’s private parts, Foo alleged.

In the email, he attached a photo of the superintendent who, Foo said, had boarded an ICA shuttle bus.

An ICA assistant commissioner then lodged a police report. The victim’s office and home were raided that same day, his personal mobile phone was seized, and his passport was impounded.

The authorities also interviewed him on two separate days and checked two iPads belonging to his wife and daughter.

On Aug 21 last year, Foo, having returned to Singapore, responded to queries from the police in a second email. It was sent from the same mobile phone, but using a public Wifi network at Century Square shopping mall in Tampines.

He was arrested later that day. Foo then admitted that he had made things up.

‘LACED WITH MALICIOUS INTENT’: DPP

Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh sought at least 12 weeks’ jail, saying that Foo had wasted investigative resources and acted in a “clearly vindictive” manner, causing significant harm to the victim and his family.

“His actions were laced with malicious intent… his offence was premeditated and carefully planned to enable the making of false accusations under a cloak of anonymity,” she added.

In mitigation, Foo’s lawyer Raphael Louis asked for a short detention order. Those who receive the community-based sentence will spend time behind bars for a short while, but will not have a criminal record upon release.

Mr Louis added: “His biggest mistake was not controlling his emotions which led him to commit these offences. He didn’t do it for financial gain or to protect anyone.”