Former Private Investigation Firm Partner Fined S$24,000 for Surveilling Police Officer
2 sources · Singapore · 2 of them are linked to a state
Who reported this
- CNA
- The Straits Times
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
- A hatched block means the outlet is affiliated with, or controlled by, a state.
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Every source for this story reports from Singapore.
Tan Hui Ting, a 33 year old former partner at private investigation firm CDiC Consultants, was fined S$24,000 on September 15 for consenting to the surveillance of a police officer. The court heard that in November 2021, a client named Pai Hong Yao hired the firm to monitor Deputy Superintendent Lee Tien Huat, who was investigating a matter involving Mr. Pai's father. Mr. Pai expressed dissatisfaction with the investigation and wanted to determine if the officer was a good or bad policeman.
Between December 16, 2021, and January 9, 2022, CDiC investigators tracked DSP Lee at his residence and his workplace, the Police Cantonment Complex. The surveillance included photographing the officer at home and tracking his movements during shifts that sometimes lasted from 7:35 am until midnight. CDiC received S$25,100 for the assignment, but the firm did not obtain the required written approval from a licensing officer to surveil a police officer.
The operation ended on January 9, 2022, after DSP Lee noticed he was being followed and filed a police report the following day. Prosecutors emphasized that the Police Cantonment Complex is a protected area and the operational heart of the Singapore Police Force, noting that the surveillance posed risks to national security and public order. Tan Hui Ting pleaded guilty to one charge under the Private Security Industry Act. Her business partner, Tan Kok Boon, was previously fined S$25,000, and the firm CDiC was fined S$20,000.
How each side framed it
- Centre
- The center outlet focused on the specific details of the surveillance activities and the defense's argument regarding the hierarchy of responsibility within the firm.
- Centre-right
- The center-right outlet emphasized the legal status of the Police Cantonment Complex as a protected place and the calculated nature of the breach of security.
Sources
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