Gilbert Oh, 45, admitted in April before district judge Sharmila Sripathy-Shanaz to lying to Ong Eng Chuan, a ministry deputy secretary, about using the diplomatic bag service to bring some watches to Singapore from Beijing on behalf of a female friend.
The diplomatic bag service allows the secure delivery of government documents and items from ministries to diplomats at embassies overseas.
By international convention, packages are sealed and not subject to inspection by customs or law enforcement agencies.
“The serious potential consequences to the integrity of the public service and the ministry domestically – insofar as its internal investigative process was undermined – and internationally, justify a custodial sentence as a starting point,” Sharmila said, adding that she was taking into account two cheating charges linked to the case.
Lawyers Shashi Nathan and Harjeet Kaur, acting for Oh, had asked for a S$5,000 fine, saying he had “no ill intentions or personal benefit to gain”.
However, Sharmila said that while no actual harm had taken place, the court had to weigh up the potential for this.
“The unchecked misuse of the diplomatic bag service on a false pretence, without knowing the full contents of what was being transported for a third-party foreign national… would have the potential to impinge on trust in Singapore’s international relationships and cause embarrassment to the ministry, if there were no redress,” the judge said.
She added that the deception was “conscious and deliberate”, and that Oh’s offence was motivated by self-interest.
According to the facts of the case, Oh agreed to use the diplomatic bag service on behalf of a female friend, Jiang Si, in China to bring a number of watches to Singapore.
On Jan 12, 2023, Oh contacted his colleague, Dion Loke, at the Singapore embassy in Beijing, claiming that the parents of Jiang – a Chinese diplomat – wanted to have “something in a package” delivered to Oh in Singapore. Jiang, as it turned out, was not a diplomat.
The transaction came to light because, with the diplomatic bag service temporarily suspended, Loke took a flight from Beijing to Singapore on Jan 17, carrying the package in his personal luggage.
Loke was stopped by customs officers upon his arrival in Singapore and they alerted Ong in the ministry. Ong subsequently contacted Oh, demanding an explanation.
At this point, Oh lied again, claiming that the watches belonged to his father, triggering an investigation by Singapore’s corrupt practices investigation bureau and later charges.
Oh will be appealing his sentence. His bail was set at $15,000.