Police officer who made crude remarks about subordinate fined $6,000

A police officer who was a deputy team leader at one of the land divisions in the Singapore Police Force (SPF) was fined $6,000 yesterday for making insulting comments about a female subordinate for a year.

The officer, 36, had joined the police force when he was 18, the court heard.

He cannot be named to protect the victim's identity.

The offences took place from 2016 to 2017, and the officer was the victim's deputy team leader.

His comments were often sexually-tinged, or they insulted the victim's modesty.

In early 2016, the officer sent a picture of the victim's WhatsApp profile to a WhatsApp chat group and said: "This one is a virgin, who wishes to try?"

In 2017, the victim, 26, a ground response force officer, brought some cupcakes as a treat for her colleagues.

While they were eating the cupcakes, the officer said: "The cream on the cupcakes look like creampie... believe it to be nasi kangkang."

"Creampie" refers to ejaculation, and "nasi kangkang" is a Malay word that refers to vaginal discharge used on food in the practice of black magic.

In October 2017, the victim and her teammates were talking about a trip to Thailand when the officer suddenly asked her if she wanted to go to Bangkok to whiten her skin and enhance her chest.

In November 2017, the victim was attending a Police Defence Tactics re-certification course and was practising with her baton when he walked by and said: "Don't later poke until baby come out".

The issue finally came to light last year when the victim told another police officer, a deputy superintendent, about the incidents.

She said she was in a state of confusion and was apprehensive of the consequences of making a police report.

PLEADED GUILTY

Yesterday, the officer pleaded guilty to three charges of using insulting words likely to cause harassment, alarm or distress to his 26-year-old victim.

Each charge under the Protection from Harassment Act carries a maximum fine of $5,000.

Five other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

Deputy public prosecutor Gregory Gan asked for a substantial fine, stating that such behaviour is unacceptable and that a clear signal needs to be sent to supervisors to take care of their words.

Defence counsel Kalidass Murugaiyan urged the court to impose a lower fine, saying his client had contributed to the nation and was consistently ranked highly among his peers, receiving many accolades.

He added that his client had made the remarks in poor taste and out of jest, and he intended to apologise to the victim but had not yet been able to do so.

A police spokesman said officers of the SPF are not only expected to uphold the law but maintain the highest standards of conduct and integrity.

"We deal severely with officers who break the law, including charging them in court," the spokesman said.

The officer has been suspended from duty since December last year, and disciplinary proceedings have been taken against him following his conviction, the spokesman added.

In a separate case, another police officer was charged with molesting the same victim on three occasions.

According to previous charge sheets, he allegedly pushed her buttock with his hand on May 1, 2017, around 10pm.

He also allegedly molested her twice in 2015, including placing his hand on her thigh on one occasion.

The New Paper understands the officer intends to contest the allegations.