Cops jailed for trying to claim $1,000 found at polytechnic

[R y u]

Apr 21, 2011

Cops jailed for trying to claim $1,000 found at polytechnic

By Khushwant Singh

Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid (L), from the Bedok police division, had also logged onto the police database unlawfully. He was jailed a total of 10 months. His accomplice, fellow sergeant Nazir Ali Khan, 37, was jailed four months. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

TWO police sergeants who conspired to get their hands on a $1,000 wad of cash found at Nanyang Polytechnic in April 2008 were jailed on Thursday for attempting to cheat and providing false information. Abdul Aziz Abdul Majid, from the Bedok police division, had also logged onto the police database unlawfully.

He was jailed a total of 10 months. His accomplice, fellow sergeant Nazir Ali Khan, 37, was jailed four months.

In passing sentence, District Judge Jill Tan said that while it was inexcusable to cheat another person, it was disgraceful for the two sergeants to try to cheat another officer and get hold of the cash. Both men are appealing against the conviction and sentence.

During the three-week trial, the court heard that Abdul Aziz was in financial difficulties when he went into the police database in April 2008 and discovered the Clementi division was holding $1,000 in its lost-and-found section.

The 32-year-old then contacted Nazir and devised a plan to claim the cash for themselves. On April 4, he posed as a vending machine technician who had lost $1,000 three days earlier, and visited the Clementi police station. He lied that Nazir had informed him that the money had been found and was at the Clementi police division.

The cash was never handed over and, in the ensuing investigation, Nazir was pulled up for an interview and told investigators that Abdul Aziz had lost $1,000 either at Nanyang Polytechnic or at Yio Chu Kang MRT station. He had merely called the Clementi police division to help his friend recover the money.

Both Abdul Aziz and Nazir have been suspended from their duties.

 

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Two policemen jailed for S$1,000 cheating attempt
By Jo-ann Huang | Posted: 21 April 2011 2043 hrs

SINGAPORE: Two police sergeants who hatched a plan to lay their hands on S$1,000 lying unclaimed in the lost-and-found section were sentenced to jail terms Thursday for attempting to cheat.

On April 2, 2008, Abdul Aziz from the Bedok police division logged onto the police database and discovered that the Clementi division had S$1,000 in its lost-and-found section.

He contacted Nazir Ali Khan, a friend and sergeant from Bedok division, and thought of a way to claim the money which they would then split among themselves.

Two days later, Abdul Aziz, posing as a vending machine technician, went to Clementi division and told officers there he had lost S$1,000.

He told the officers in a statement that he had been informed by Nazir that the money had been found and was with the Clementi police division.

Nazir, who was then interviewed as part of an investigation into the lost cash, told investigators that Abdul Aziz had either lost the money at Nanyang Polytechnic or Yio Chu Kang MRT Station.

He also told investigators that he called the Clementi police division to help Abdul Aziz recover the money.

But the investigators found discrepancies in both men's stories.

The cash was not handed over and both men were suspended from their duties.

Thursday, Abdul Aziz was sentenced to 10 months' in jail on two counts of computer misuse and one count of providing a false statement to a public servant.

His accomplice Nazir was sentenced to four months' in jail for abetting in an offence punishable by imprisonment and providing a false statement to a public servant.

- CNA/cc