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SENIOR immigration officer Dong Ching Jit was staring at a 11/2-year jail term - the result of allegedly extending the social visit passes (SVPs) of foreign nationals for bribes amounting to more than $10,000.
However, he was cleared of any wrongdoing when the High Court hearing his appeal ruled that the charges were not proved beyond reasonable doubt. But his trouble with the law is not yet over.
Although Dong, 56, was cleared of four corruption charges by Justice Choo Han Teck, he still faces a further eight corruption charges that he received $70,000 in bribes for similar offences.
His lawyer Tng Kim Choon will be meeting prosecutors today to make arrangements for the trial. Dong is out on $100,000 bail.
His appeal was argued by Senior Counsel Sant Singh and, in the judgment released this week, Justice Choo gave the main reason why he acquitted Dong: The key prosecution witness, whose testimony was to prove the immigration officer's guilt, was not at all reliable.
The judge pointed to three 'unsatisfactory aspects' of Edmund Hoon Wai Kein's evidence.