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https://www.asiaone.com/singapore/p...es-helped-inmate-smuggle-items-including-lewd
Mohammad Asri Abd Rahim pleaded guilty to multiple charges involving acts of corruption.
PHOTO: The Straits Times
For almost a year, a Singapore Prison Service (SPS) officer helped an inmate smuggle prohibited items, including medication and lewd pictures, into Changi Prison Complex.
From August 2021 to June 2022, Mohammad Asri Abd Rahim, 39, who has since been suspended from duty, helped Mohamad Yusof Kasim, 50, to smuggle in contraband items for inmates.
For his assistance, Asri received at least $3,700 in bribes from Yusof, also known as “Kimo”, through the latter’s friends and acquaintances.
On Sept 5, Asri and Yusof each pleaded guilty to multiple charges involving acts of corruption.
A third man identified as Murali Vigneshwaran, 36, who was also involved in the case, pleaded guilty to one corruption-linked charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Chia told the court that Asri joined SPS in April 2012. His roles included managing inmates at the Changi Prison Complex Institution B.
Inmates known as Correctional Unit Attendants (CUAs) were tasked to help out with housekeeping matters.
Such inmates were paid an allowance, which they could use to buy items such as snacks within Changi Prison. Yusof was a CUA who had helped Asri, the court heard.
DPP Chia said that from early 2021 to August that year, Asri started bringing in Gabapentin pills – a type of painkiller that could be abused – for his CUAs to reward them for helping him manage the inmates.
He would do so once or twice a month, with no more than one slab of the medication containing 10 pills on each occasion. He would then pass the slab of pills to Yusof for him to distribute to the other CUAs, but did not receive any money in return.
The DPP added: “In August 2021, Kimo reached out to Asri. Kimo suggested to Asri that if Asri was willing to smuggle contraband items into Changi Prison for the inmates, he was willing to pay Asri for his services.
“Initially, Asri did not give Kimo an answer because he knew that what Kimo was suggesting was illegal. However, Asri eventually decided to agree with Kimo’s proposal.”
Asri later entered into an arrangement with Yusof in which he would help the latter smuggle items such as lewd photographs and medication through prison security in exchange for monetary rewards.
Yusof then instructed his friends and acquaintances outside of Changi Prison, including Murali, to pass the contraband items to Asri.
Yusof also passed on instructions to these individuals through the e-letters that he sent to people outside the prison.
Court documents stated that to avoid detection, he used code words in such letters so that his friends and acquaintances knew what they needed to pass to Asri.
For instance, “ayam” (chicken in Malay) referred to Asri, “postcards” referred to lewd photographs, “paper” referred to money and “visit goods” referred to Gabapentin pills.
After receiving the contraband items, Asri arranged to smuggle them into Changi Prison undetected.
DPP Chia said: “For Gabapentin pills, Asri (removed) the pills from their original packaging, as it contained aluminium which could be detected by the Changi Prison metal detectors, and kept the pills in small bags.
“He would then hide the bags containing the pills in his socks or underwear and smuggle them into Changi Prison.”
The court heard that lewd photographs were typically handed over to Asri in an envelope. He would then keep the envelope in a pocket of his uniform and smuggle it into Changi Prison when he reported for work.
Yusof would also instruct his friends and acquaintances outside Changi Prison to reward Asri for his services.
The prosecutor told the court that Yusof decided the amount Asri would receive as rewards, adding: “Typically, these friends and acquaintances would hand Asri cash alongside the contraband items.”
There were also occasions when they made bank transfers to Asri’s bank account.
Around mid- to end June 2022, Asri told Yusof that he wanted to stop the arrangement. But before they could do so, SPS officers conducted a raid on Yusof’s cell on suspicion that he had contraband items.
The officers then uncovered items including Gabapentin pills, and investigations later revealed that Asri had smuggled them in.
The three Singaporeans will be sentenced on Oct 9.
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Prison officer admits to accepting bribes; helped inmate smuggle items including lewd pictures
Mohammad Asri Abd Rahim pleaded guilty to multiple charges involving acts of corruption.
PHOTO: The Straits Times
For almost a year, a Singapore Prison Service (SPS) officer helped an inmate smuggle prohibited items, including medication and lewd pictures, into Changi Prison Complex.
From August 2021 to June 2022, Mohammad Asri Abd Rahim, 39, who has since been suspended from duty, helped Mohamad Yusof Kasim, 50, to smuggle in contraband items for inmates.
For his assistance, Asri received at least $3,700 in bribes from Yusof, also known as “Kimo”, through the latter’s friends and acquaintances.
On Sept 5, Asri and Yusof each pleaded guilty to multiple charges involving acts of corruption.
A third man identified as Murali Vigneshwaran, 36, who was also involved in the case, pleaded guilty to one corruption-linked charge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Andrew Chia told the court that Asri joined SPS in April 2012. His roles included managing inmates at the Changi Prison Complex Institution B.
Inmates known as Correctional Unit Attendants (CUAs) were tasked to help out with housekeeping matters.
Such inmates were paid an allowance, which they could use to buy items such as snacks within Changi Prison. Yusof was a CUA who had helped Asri, the court heard.
DPP Chia said that from early 2021 to August that year, Asri started bringing in Gabapentin pills – a type of painkiller that could be abused – for his CUAs to reward them for helping him manage the inmates.
He would do so once or twice a month, with no more than one slab of the medication containing 10 pills on each occasion. He would then pass the slab of pills to Yusof for him to distribute to the other CUAs, but did not receive any money in return.
The DPP added: “In August 2021, Kimo reached out to Asri. Kimo suggested to Asri that if Asri was willing to smuggle contraband items into Changi Prison for the inmates, he was willing to pay Asri for his services.
“Initially, Asri did not give Kimo an answer because he knew that what Kimo was suggesting was illegal. However, Asri eventually decided to agree with Kimo’s proposal.”
Asri later entered into an arrangement with Yusof in which he would help the latter smuggle items such as lewd photographs and medication through prison security in exchange for monetary rewards.
Yusof then instructed his friends and acquaintances outside of Changi Prison, including Murali, to pass the contraband items to Asri.
Yusof also passed on instructions to these individuals through the e-letters that he sent to people outside the prison.
Court documents stated that to avoid detection, he used code words in such letters so that his friends and acquaintances knew what they needed to pass to Asri.
For instance, “ayam” (chicken in Malay) referred to Asri, “postcards” referred to lewd photographs, “paper” referred to money and “visit goods” referred to Gabapentin pills.
After receiving the contraband items, Asri arranged to smuggle them into Changi Prison undetected.
DPP Chia said: “For Gabapentin pills, Asri (removed) the pills from their original packaging, as it contained aluminium which could be detected by the Changi Prison metal detectors, and kept the pills in small bags.
“He would then hide the bags containing the pills in his socks or underwear and smuggle them into Changi Prison.”
The court heard that lewd photographs were typically handed over to Asri in an envelope. He would then keep the envelope in a pocket of his uniform and smuggle it into Changi Prison when he reported for work.
Yusof would also instruct his friends and acquaintances outside Changi Prison to reward Asri for his services.
The prosecutor told the court that Yusof decided the amount Asri would receive as rewards, adding: “Typically, these friends and acquaintances would hand Asri cash alongside the contraband items.”
There were also occasions when they made bank transfers to Asri’s bank account.
Around mid- to end June 2022, Asri told Yusof that he wanted to stop the arrangement. But before they could do so, SPS officers conducted a raid on Yusof’s cell on suspicion that he had contraband items.
The officers then uncovered items including Gabapentin pills, and investigations later revealed that Asri had smuggled them in.
The three Singaporeans will be sentenced on Oct 9.
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