43-year-old Edmund Lam Kiat Choong, a senior assistant director at the Ministry of Education (MOE) was charged in court on 4 August with one count of drink driving and another count of dangerous driving, after he was allegedly caught drink driving in 2022 and injuring another driver after crashing his car.
The incident involved a head-on collision with another car while driving against the flow of traffic, resulting in injuries to the other driver.
The Alleged Incident
On December 8, 2022, in Bras Basah Road, shortly before 2 am, Edmund Lam was reportedly driving under the influence of alcohol. According to court documents, he drove against the flow of traffic for nearly 320 meters before colliding head-on with another car.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 54-year-old man, sustained injuries as a result of the accident. However, specific details about the extent of his injuries were not disclosed in the court records.
Legal Implications
The legal limit for alcohol consumption while driving is 35 micrograms of alcohol in 100ml of breath. However, Lam was allegedly found with more than double that amount, measuring at 77 micrograms.
The Accusations and Response
As a section head at the MOE, Lam is accused of one count each of dangerous driving and drink driving. Following the incident, the Ministry of Education expressed its intention to conduct disciplinary proceedings once Lam’s court case concludes.
They emphasized that the ministry takes staff misconduct very seriously and will take appropriate disciplinary action against those who fail to adhere to their standards of conduct and discipline.
Lam is expected to plead guilty on August 11, according to court records.
In the event of being found guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol, a person who is committing this offense for the first time may face imprisonment for a maximum period of one year and be subject to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
In the case of a repeat offense, the penalties become more severe. A repeat offender may be sentenced to a maximum of two years in jail and fined up to $20,000.