An elderly man on Friday, April 27 was charged with violating the Official Secrets Act and bribing a traffic police clerk, after his accomplice was sentenced for the same offences in 2016.
The accused, Gulzar Raja Singh Sandhu, a legal executive with Clifford Law has allegedly received contact details of traffic accident victims and gave a total of S$2,500 as a reward to the traffic police clerk Khatijah Manap. The 70-year-old accused faces eight corruption charges and another 24 charges for violating Official Secrets Act, as he received unauthorised information from the clerk.
In 2016, when Khatijah's case was presented in the court the judge heard that being a corporate support officer, she had access to traffic accident investigation reports as well as the personal details of the victims.
Reports stated that she would have supplied that information to Gulzar, who used the details to contact people and recommend a lawyer from the same firm, who would help them to compensate the claims. Not only the man but also Khatijah would have called the victims.
Gulzar would pay the clerk at least S$200 after each successful contact with the victims, who chose the services of the law firm to file their claims.
Reports stated that Gulzar and his accomplice got to know each other in 2008 after Khatijah became involved in an accident. Two years ago, in July 2016, she was sentenced to 18 weeks imprisonment and asked to pay a penalty of S$2,500 for her wrongdoings.
As per the Official Secrets Act (Chapter 213) (1) a person who is guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of section 3, shall be liable on conviction to a fine up to $20,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years.
(2) A person who is guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of section 5, 6, 8 or 11 shall be liable on conviction before a District Court to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years. A person charged with an offence by reason of a section mentioned in this subsection may with the consent of the Public Prosecutor be tried before a Magistrate's Court, and such person shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
(3) A person who is guilty of an offence under this Act by reason of section 9 or 10 shall be liable on conviction before a District Court to a fine not exceeding $2,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, and shall be liable on conviction before a Magistrate's Court to a fine not exceeding $1,000 and to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months.
