Four Certis officers contracted by the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), along with a civilian, have been charged in court over a corruption scandal involving bribes and confidential enforcement information. The alleged offences took place between June 2021 and April 2024 at Jurong Port and Tuas Checkpoint.
According to a joint press statement by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) and Singapore Customs, the civilian — identified as 34-year-old Muhammad Sukaimi Bin Gasali — is accused of offering cash incentives totalling S$9,851 to the officers. The payments were allegedly made to omit enforcement checks and to leak sensitive operational details.
The four officers facing charges are Sri Daniah Binte Abdul Razak (26), Muhammad Haaziq Bin Karudin (33), Muhammad Khairul Amir Bin Suhaimi (25), and Mohamad Aziffi Bin Selamat (32). At the time, they were all serving as ICA-contracted personnel.
Alleged Bribes and Breaches of the Official Secrets Act
Investigators allege that from June 2021 to July 2023, Sukaimi gave S$7,661 in bribes to the officers at Jurong Port to avoid inspections. Between February and April 2024, he is also accused of paying S$2,190 to Daniah for insider details on enforcement activities at Tuas Checkpoint.
Prosecutors claim the officers shared information about enforcement checks, deployment schedules, and operational movements. Khairul and Aziffi allegedly leaked details about Jurong Port between 2021 and 2023, while Haaziq allegedly shared inspection plans from March 2022 to April 2024. Daniah is accused of similar leaks concerning Tuas Checkpoint.
Beyond the corruption charges, authorities say Daniah also worked with Sukaimi to smuggle 22 cartons and 470 packets of duty-unpaid cigarettes into Singapore. A subsequent raid allegedly uncovered 16 packets of untaxed cigarettes in Sukaimi’s home and nine in Daniah’s, with total Goods and Services Tax (GST) evasion amounting to S$10,914.
Heavy Penalties for Bribery and Illegal Cigarette Trade in Singapore
The defendants face multiple counts under the Prevention of Corruption Act, the Official Secrets Act, and Singapore’s Customs regulations. If convicted of corruption, they could face fines of up to S$100,000, jail terms of up to five years, or both. Breaching the Official Secrets Act carries penalties of up to S$2,000 in fines and two years’ imprisonment.
For offences involving duty-unpaid goods, penalties can be as severe as a fine up to 40 times the amount of duty and GST evaded, imprisonment for up to six years, or both. Under Singapore’s criminal code, amalgamated charges may result in double the maximum punishment.
Court proceedings will continue next month. Sukaimi, Daniah, and Haaziq are due to return to court on 5 September, while Khairul and Aziffi are scheduled to plead guilty on 19 September.