Security Officer Sentenced to Imprisonment and Caning for Extortion

On 21 April 2022, Ganesan A/L Gunasagaran (“Ganesan”), a 33-year-old Malaysian Senior Security Officer of Metropolis Security Systems Pte Ltd at the material time, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment and three strokes of the cane for extortion. Another two charges for corruption and personating a police officer were taken into consideration during Ganesan’s sentencing.

2. On 19 October 2021, Ganesan was deployed to perform security duties at SeaHill Condominium (“SeaHill”) located at 119 West Coast Crescent. Investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) revealed that an individual who was visiting a friend at Seahill had entered the condominium without checking in using the TraceTogether application that evening. Shortly after midnight on 20 October 2021, Ganesan approached both individuals and informed them that they would get into trouble for ‘illegal entry to estate’. Ganesan then brought the visiting individual outside SeaHill and solicited an unspecified sum of money in return for not taking action against him for entering SeaHill without checking in using TraceTogether.

3. Investigations revealed that Ganesan continued to press the visiting individual for money, demanding for S$10,000 to ‘close this big case’ or risk being handed over to the police by Ganesan. This was done in person outside SeaHill and later, via Whatsapp. Ganesan further claimed to the same individual that he was a high-ranking undercover officer of the ‘Singapore Police Licensing Sector’, and also sent the address and photograph of Police Cantonment Complex to the individual.

4. For his actions, Ganesan was previously charged in Court on 21 February 2022 for corruption under Section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, extortion under Section 385 of the Penal Code, and personating a police officer under Section 120A(1) of the Police Force Act, Chapter 235.

5. Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to S$100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years or to both. Any person who puts a person in fear of harm in order to commit extortion can be sentenced to imprisonment of not less than two years and not more than five years with caning. Any person who personates a police officer can be sentenced for a term up to six months, or a S$2,500 fine, or both.

6. CPIB looks into all corruption-related complaints and reports, including anonymous ones, and can be reached via the following channels:

a) Lodge an e-Complaint;
b) Email us at report@cpib.gov.sg;
c) Call the Duty Officer at 1800-376-0000; or
d) Write to us at the CPIB Headquarters @ 2 Lengkok Bahru, S159047.

7. Where possible, the report should include the following information:

a) Where, when and how the alleged corrupt act happened?
b) Who was involved and what were their roles?
c) What was the bribe given and the favour shown?

CORRUPT PRACTICES INVESTIGATION BUREAU