SINGAPORE: A director-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) was charged on Thursday (Nov 23) over mailing boxes of Panadol and luxury watches using diplomatic bags.
Gilbert Oh Hin Kwan, 44, faces two counts of cheating and one count of providing false information to a public servant, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said.
In December last year, Oh sent a package containing boxes of Panadol – which contains paracetamol – from Singapore to Beijing using the diplomatic bag service.
He allegedly hid from MFA that the package was intended for a personal acquaintance, rather than an MFA colleague.
"MFA was induced to accept the package for dispatch via the diplomatic bag service on that basis, which it would not have done had it known the truth," said CPIB.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomatic bags are used for documents or items intended for official use.
Under the convention, diplomatic bags cannot be opened or detained. The bags must "bear visible external marks of their character".
In December 2022, Chinese nationals in Singapore queued up to send flu medicine back home to relatives amid surging COVID-19 cases in China and reports of drug shortages.
Singapore's Health Ministry (MOH) reminded people to buy medicine in quantities that are sufficient only for their own consumption, and said it was aware that retailers have seen increased demand for over-the-counter medicine to treat fever, cough and cold.
Some retailers, including FairPrice and Watsons, imposed purchase limits on Panadol and Nurofen products. Nurofen contains ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, that can be used to treat fever.
Demand for over-the-counter flu and cough medicine moderated at the start of the year, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary on Jan 10.
Oh is also accused of instigating a colleague to dispatch a package containing luxury watches from China to Singapore on Jan 12 using the diplomatic bag service, said CPIB.
He allegedly did not disclose that the package belonged to and was intended for someone else, according to charge sheets.
A week later, he purportedly lied to MFA's Deputy Secretary Ong Eng Chuan about the package containing the luxury watches, claiming that the watches belonged to his father.
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Gilbert Oh Hin Kwan, 44, faces two counts of cheating and one count of providing false information to a public servant, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said.
In December last year, Oh sent a package containing boxes of Panadol – which contains paracetamol – from Singapore to Beijing using the diplomatic bag service.
He allegedly hid from MFA that the package was intended for a personal acquaintance, rather than an MFA colleague.
"MFA was induced to accept the package for dispatch via the diplomatic bag service on that basis, which it would not have done had it known the truth," said CPIB.
According to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, diplomatic bags are used for documents or items intended for official use.
Under the convention, diplomatic bags cannot be opened or detained. The bags must "bear visible external marks of their character".
In December 2022, Chinese nationals in Singapore queued up to send flu medicine back home to relatives amid surging COVID-19 cases in China and reports of drug shortages.
Singapore's Health Ministry (MOH) reminded people to buy medicine in quantities that are sufficient only for their own consumption, and said it was aware that retailers have seen increased demand for over-the-counter medicine to treat fever, cough and cold.
Some retailers, including FairPrice and Watsons, imposed purchase limits on Panadol and Nurofen products. Nurofen contains ibuprofen, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, that can be used to treat fever.
Demand for over-the-counter flu and cough medicine moderated at the start of the year, said Senior Minister of State for Health Janil Puthucheary on Jan 10.
LUXURY WATCHES
Oh is also accused of instigating a colleague to dispatch a package containing luxury watches from China to Singapore on Jan 12 using the diplomatic bag service, said CPIB.
He allegedly did not disclose that the package belonged to and was intended for someone else, according to charge sheets.
A week later, he purportedly lied to MFA's Deputy Secretary Ong Eng Chuan about the package containing the luxury watches, claiming that the watches belonged to his father.
Continue reading...