A director general at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) faces charges over sending Panadol and luxury watches through diplomatic bags.
Gilbert Oh Hin Kwan, 44, was charged with two counts of cheating and one count of providing false information to a public servant.
In December last year, Oh allegedly sent a package containing Panadol from Singapore to Beijing, concealing it was for a personal acquaintance, not a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) colleague.
The charges also include instigating a colleague to dispatch luxury watches from China to Singapore using diplomatic bags.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) stated that Oh induced MFA to accept the Panadol package for dispatch through diplomatic bags by providing false information.
Diplomatic bags are intended for official use and are protected under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
Oh is accused of not disclosing that the luxury watches package was intended for someone else, and he allegedly lied to MFA Deputy Secretary Ong Eng Chuan about the watches, claiming they belonged to his father.
If found guilty, Oh could face imprisonment and fines.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) claims that Oh misled MFA about the Panadol package’s intended recipient and instigated a colleague to dispatch luxury watches without proper disclosure.
Diplomatic bags are protected by the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for official use. If convicted, Oh may face imprisonment and fines.
