3 CNB officers charged with obstructing course of justice in case involving tampered urine sample

SINGAPORE - Three Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers allegedly worked together to obstruct the course of justice in a case involving a tampered urine sample.

One of them is said to have used his own urine sample to replace the one belonging to a man being tested for drug consumption.

The three officers, who have been suspended since July this year, were each charged on Friday (Oct 18) with one count of intentionally obstructing the course of justice.

They are accused of committing the offences at the third storey of Woodlands Checkpoint Block B on Aug 16 last year.

Court statements stated that Mohamed Hafiz Lan, 41, a staff sergeant, allegedly used his own urine sample to replace the one from a man identified as Maung Moe Min.

As a result, Maung passed a urine test for drugs. Court documents did not reveal his details and the outcome of his case.

Abdul Rahman Kadir, a 43-year-old staff sergeant, and Muhammad Zuhairi Zainuri, a 31-year-old sergeant, are accused of engaging in a conspiracy with Hafiz to commit the offence.

It was not stated what the trio purportedly received in return.

In a statement, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said that law enforcement officers have the duty to maintain the rule of law and uphold justice.

It added: "Those who choose to obstruct the course of justice must bear the full weight of the law.

"All public officers, including those in law enforcement, are expected to uphold the highest standards of integrity when carrying out their duties. The CPIB will not hesitate to take errant public officers to task."

The three men were each offered bail of $10,000.

Hafiz will be back in court on Nov 8 while the pre-trial conferences of his alleged accomplices will be held on Nov 14.

The CNB said in a statement on Friday that it does not condone any act of misconduct by its officers and takes a serious view of all complaints or allegations made against them.

"In the course of a particular drug investigation, we found possible acts of misconduct by three CNB officers. We immediately referred the matter to the CPIB for investigations, and provided full cooperation to CPIB during its investigations," said the CNB spokesman.

Offenders convicted of intentionally obstructing the course of justice can be jailed for up to seven years and fined.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.