Three CNB Officers Jailed For Obstruction of Justice

Three Central Narcotics Bureau (“CNB”) officers have been sentenced to imprisonment for intentionally obstructing the course of justice, after they conspired to tamper with the urine sample belonging to a person who was suspected of consuming controlled drugs, at Woodlands Checkpoint in 2018. The officers are:

a) Staff Sergeant Abdul Rahman Bin Kadir (“Rahman”) (46-year-old male Singaporean);

b) Sergeant Muhammad Zuhairi Bin Zainuri (“Zuhairi”) (34-year-old male Singaporean); and

c) Staff Sergeant Mohamed Hafiz Bin Lan (“Hafiz”) (44-year-old male Singaporean).

2. Rahman, Zuhairi and Hafiz were charged in Court on 18 October 2019 with engaging in a conspiracy to intentionally obstruct the course of justice, an offence punishable under Section 204A read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, Cap 224 (Rev Ed 2008). Rahman and Zuhairi claimed trial and were convicted of the offence. On 24 November 2022, Rahman and Zuhairi were sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and 22 months’ imprisonment respectively. Hafiz had previously pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment on 3 August 2020.

3. On 15 August 2018, the three CNB officers were deployed at Woodlands Checkpoint. At that time, Maung Moe Min Oo, a Singapore Citizen, had been referred to CNB by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (“ICA”) after a preliminary swab conducted by ICA indicated that Maung may have consumed controlled drugs. Maung was directed to provide a urine sample for an Instant Urine Test (“IUT”). Maung believed that he would fail the IUT and thus declined to provide a urine sample.

4. Instead, Maung sought leniency from Rahman in Zuhairi’s presence. Zuhairi believed that Maung was an uncooperative subject and the process to procure urine from him would be a waste of time. He then suggested to Hafiz that Maung’s urine sample could be switched with another sample to expedite his departure from the CNB office.

5. Hafiz agreed with the suggestion and directed Zuhairi to leave an empty urine bottle in a toilet located at the CNB office. Zuhairi complied. Subsequently, Hafiz urinated into the empty bottle.

6. Hafiz and Rahman then escorted Maung to the toilet where Hafiz, in Rahman’s presence, instructed Maung to switch his urine sample with the bottle that Hafiz had urinated in. Maung complied, which enabled him to improperly pass the IUT. Maung was thereafter released from the CNB office, and he proceeded to leave Singapore through Woodlands Checkpoint. Maung was detained again when he returned to Singapore and implicated Rahman after he was questioned.

7. Any person who is convicted of obstructing the course of justice shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term which may extend to seven years, or with fine, or with both.

Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau