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Prosecution calls for 32 months’ jail for traffic police inspector who molested 4 NSF subordinates

SINGAPORE — Calling his male subordinates "darling" and "baby", a 55-year-old Traffic Police inspector began touching and slapping their buttocks in the Traffic Police headquarters.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amanda Chong said, in molesting his direct subordinates, Traffic Police inspector Mohd Taufik Abu Bakar had “clearly engineered the situation to his advantage” and abused his position of trust.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Amanda Chong said, in molesting his direct subordinates, Traffic Police inspector Mohd Taufik Abu Bakar had “clearly engineered the situation to his advantage” and abused his position of trust.

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SINGAPORE — Calling his male subordinates "darling" and "baby", a 55-year-old Traffic Police inspector began touching and slapping their buttocks in the Traffic Police headquarters.

Mohd Taufik Abu Bakar then grew so emboldened that, under the pretext of helping a 21-year-old special constable to eradicate his body odour by applying hair removal cream, he invited the young man to his flat and molested him.

On Thursday (June 21), defence lawyer Gino Hardial Singh sought no more than 10 months' jail and a fine for his client, who had been found guilty of six molestation charges in February after a six-day trial.

The offences, committed between January and September 2015, involved four full-time national servicemen (NSFs) who were serving as special constables at the Traffic Police's Hit and Run Investigation Team headed by Taufik. The victims cannot be named due to a court gag order.

District Judge Jasvender Kaur had acquitted him of one other charge of outrage of modesty involving a fifth special constable.

In contrast to the at least 32 months' imprisonment sought by the prosecution, Mr Singh sought a lighter sentence, on the account that Taufik was a decorated police officer who had served for 31 years and received numerous commendations.

He added that his client's victims were "not vulnerable persons under his care", as they were young adults who could protect themselves or find possible legal recourse.

However, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Amanda Chong said in molesting his direct subordinates, Taufik had "clearly engineered the situation to his advantage" and abused his position of trust.

"While these special constables may have been serving as police officers in National Service, the fact remains that they were boys barely out of their teen years, with limited life experience," she pointed out.

She also added that they had hesitated in reporting what happened, as they were afraid Taufik would derail their promotions or badmouth them to other superiors.

Furthermore, as Taufik is over 50 years old and cannot be punished with caning, the prosecutor called for jail time to be imposed in lieu of that, in order to guarantee a "sufficiently deterrent and retributive sentence".

District Judge Jasvender adjourned sentencing to July 2. Taufik is out on S$15,000 bail.

Taufik, who is suspended from duty, joined the Traffic Police Investigation Branch in 1998. Five years later, he became the officer-in-charge of the Hit and Run Investigation Team.

The court had heard that the four special constables Taufik molested sat in close proximity to his work station.

During the trial, one of them testified that Taufik would touch him on the buttocks at least four to five times a month, then grin at him afterwards. Taufik claimed during the trial that he did so as "a joke".

The molest stopped after the victim became more vigilant, which led Taufik to target the newer special constables in the office between January and July 2015.

Then on Sept 10, 2015, Taufik told a 21-year-old special constable that his body odour was giving him a headache, and that he had hair removal cream for the NSF to remove his armpit and pubic hair.

Two days later, Taufik told his victim he needed to teach him how to use the cream and body scrub, and invited him to his home, where there were "shower facilities" in his master bedroom.

The NSF testified that he did not agree to Taufik physically applying the cream or scrub directly on his body.

But on the morning of Sept 13, when he was applying the cream in Taufik's toilet, Taufik barged in and began putting the cream on the NSF's body, and molested him.

This made the 21-year-old feel "frozen", "lost" and that "the whole world collapsed on (him)".

After sending the young man home, Taufik told him over WhatsApp: "Let me know if you feel lonely and need me to accompany you. You can also stay over at my place and let me know."

Taufik's offences came to light only on Sept 16, when the NSF told another 22-year-old victim about his ordeal.

The 22-year-old testified that he partly blamed himself for what Taufik did to his colleague, as he had not told him that Taufik previously molested him as well.

The two of them then told a National Service probationary inspector about the offences, who reported it to the Traffic Police's head of investigation.

DPP Chong noted that Taufik had used the body odour excuse as a "convenient pretence", and had sent the victim messages that were strongly suggestive of grooming. He also told the young man to stop addressing him as "sir", but as "uncle", "papa" or "abang" (Malay for "brother") instead.

"This is a case of persistent harassment of vulnerable victims through acts of molest within the sanctity of a public institution. Instead of upholding the law, the accused subverted it for his own gratification.

"He exploited the trust that young men (in National Service) naturally placed in their own superiors and abused his authority as a senior officer in order to satiate his own sexual urges," DPP Chong said.

Offenders convicted of molestation can be jailed up to two years and fined or caned for each charge.

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