Ex-investigation officer who took statements over the phone gets jail for forgery

Vikneshvaran was found to have forged two acknowledgement forms for two exhibits he still had.

He had also forged four statements from accused persons and three statements from victims or witnesses across five case files that were undergoing investigations.

The affected cases were re-investigated and fresh statements were taken, with the case outcomes ultimately unaffected by the forgeries.

One of the cases involved a man who was found to have another man’s NRIC on him. A court order was issued for the card to be returned to the rightful owner when the case concluded in March 2022.

The owner told Vikneshvaran that he had made a replacement card and did not want the old one back.

Vikneshvaran signed an acknowledgement form on the owner’s behalf, making it seem like the latter had received the NRIC. This way, Vikneshvaran did not have to apply for a fresh court order for the card to be disposed of.

The card was later found in the duffel bag at Vikneshvaran’s desk.

In another case, Vikneshvaran called a victim and interviewed her over the phone for a statement that was purportedly recorded at the police station. This document was unsigned.

Vikneshvaran also called an accused person over the phone and used the information for a statement that he forged with the person’s signature.

SENTENCING ARGUMENTS

The prosecution called for nine to 10-and-a-half months’ jail, emphasising the need for general deterrence.

Defence lawyer Gino Hardial Singh of Abbots Chambers sought five to six months’ jail instead.

Mr Singh said his client was suffering from prolonged grief disorder and major depressive disorder at the time.

He cited a report from the Institute of Mental Health stating that there was a contributory link between the mental disorders and some of the charges, arising through a moderate degree of impairment in self-control.

Mr Singh said that following the sudden death of Vikneshvaran’s father, he experienced “sustained grief, guilt and psychological distress” which was compounded by mounting work pressures and accumulated case backlogs.

The lawyer said the offences are serious, but stressed that Vikneshvaran did not commit the offences for financial gain.

In sentencing, District Judge Ng Cheng Thiam cited the case of S Iswaran, where then-Justice Vincent Hoong said that trust and confidence in public institutions are the “bedrock of effective governance”, which can all too easily be undermined by the appearance that an individual public servant has fallen below the standards of integrity and accountability.

“The Singapore Police Force is one such public institution where honesty, vigilance and integrity are of utmost importance in maintaining public trust and proper administration of criminal justice,” said Judge Ng.

He said all police officers and law enforcement officers are supposed to uphold the law and catch offenders who break it.

“When a police officer breaks the law and becomes a criminal offender himself, he has tarnished the reputation of the SPF and also put a stain on the integrity of the law enforcement and criminal justice process,” said the judge.

“Such an offender cannot expect leniency from the courts when being sentenced,” he said, adding that a message must be sent to remind all police officers and law enforcement officers that the public expects them to carry out their roles, duties and responsibilities with “complete integrity”.

Vikneshvaran was given 42 weeks’ jail. When a prison sentence is imposed in weeks, CNA reports the sentences as spelt out by the court as months vary in length.

SPF previously said in a statement that it has a system of regular audits of cases to ensure that the investigation process is fair and robust.

Supervisors are immediately alerted when lapses are detected, and they also pay closer attention to officers who show signs of underperformance.

“If any irregularity is discovered, internal investigations are swiftly conducted, and documents relating to all the cases which the errant officers were investigating will be reviewed,” said SPF.

It added that it takes “a very serious view of law enforcement officers who contravene our laws and will take swift and decisive action to protect the integrity of our criminal justice system”.

For each charge of forgery, Vikneshvaran could have been jailed for up to four years, fined, or both.