Fahd Siddiqui v Public Prosecutor: Corruption Attempt by Police Officer
Fahd Siddiqui, a 21-year-old police officer, appealed against the District Court's decision to sentence him to reformative training for corruptly attempting to obtain sexual services from social escorts. The High Court, presided over by Justice Tay Yong Kwang, allowed the appeal, finding reformative training inappropriate and substituted it with a seven-day imprisonment term, emphasizing the need for deterrence and retribution alongside rehabilitation.
1. Case Overview
1.1 Court
General Division of the High Court1.2 Outcome
Appeal allowed
1.3 Case Type
Criminal
1.4 Judgment Type
Grounds of Decision
1.5 Jurisdiction
Singapore
1.6 Description
Fahd Siddiqui, a police officer, appealed against a reformative training sentence for attempting to obtain sexual services corruptly. The appeal was allowed, and the sentence was substituted with imprisonment.
1.7 Decision Date
2. Parties and Outcomes
| Party Name | Role | Type | Outcome | Outcome Type | Counsels |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Prosecutor | Respondent | Government Agency | Appeal dismissed | Lost | Leong Kit Yu of Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Fahd Siddiqui | Appellant | Individual | Appeal allowed | Won |
3. Judges
| Judge Name | Title | Delivered Judgment |
|---|---|---|
| Tay Yong Kwang | Justice of the Court of Appeal | Yes |
4. Counsels
| Counsel Name | Organization |
|---|---|
| Leong Kit Yu | Attorney-General’s Chambers |
| Quek Mong Hua | Lee & Lee |
| Jacqueline Chua | Lee & Lee |
| Faith Quek | Lee & Lee |
4. Facts
- The appellant, a police officer, attempted to obtain sexual services from a social escort without payment.
- The appellant showed his warrant card to the social escort to intimidate her.
- The appellant was charged under Section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1960.
- The District Court sentenced the appellant to reformative training.
- The appellant appealed against the sentence.
- The High Court allowed the appeal and substituted the sentence with imprisonment.
5. Formal Citations
- Fahd Siddiqui v Public Prosecutor, Magistrate’s Appeal No 9185 of 2023, [2024] SGHC 66
6. Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Appellant enquired about sexual services from a social escort. | |
| Appellant attempted to obtain gratification from two other social escorts. | |
| Appellant completed his national service duties. | |
| Hearing date | |
| Judgment date | |
| Sentence to commence |
7. Legal Issues
- Corruption
- Outcome: The court found that the appellant had committed an offence under Section 6(a) of the Prevention of Corruption Act 1960.
- Category: Substantive
- Sub-Issues:
- Attempt to obtain gratification
- Abuse of police power
- Related Cases:
- [2007] 4 SLR(R) 753
- [1999] 1 SLR(R) 1083
- Sentencing
- Outcome: The court substituted the reformative training sentence with a seven-day imprisonment term.
- Category: Procedural
- Sub-Issues:
- Rehabilitation
- Deterrence
- Retribution
- Related Cases:
- [2016] 5 SLR 166
8. Remedies Sought
- Appeal against sentence
9. Cause of Actions
- Breach of Prevention of Corruption Act 1960
10. Practice Areas
- Criminal Law
- Corruption Offences
- Sentencing Guidelines
11. Industries
- Law Enforcement
12. Cited Cases
| Case Name | Court | Affirmed | Citation | Jurisdiction | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Prosecutor v Loqmanul Hakim bin Buang | High Court | Yes | [2007] 4 SLR(R) 753 | Singapore | Cited for the detrimental consequences of corrupt acts by police officers and the erosion of public trust. |
| Public Prosecutor v Gurmit Singh s/o Jaswant Singh | High Court | Yes | [1999] 1 SLR(R) 1083 | Singapore | Cited for the public's expectation of the highest standards from the police force. |
| Public Prosecutor v Ong Jack Hong | High Court | No | [2016] 5 SLR 166 | Singapore | Cited for the purpose of reformative training. |
| Public Prosecutor v Fahd Siddiqui | District Court | No | [2023] SGDC 244 | Singapore | Cited to refer to the District Judge's decision. |
13. Applicable Rules
| Rule Name |
|---|
| No applicable rules |
14. Applicable Statutes
| Statute Name | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|
| Prevention of Corruption Act 1960 | Singapore |
15. Key Terms and Keywords
15.1 Key Terms
- Corruption
- Gratification
- Reformative Training
- Deterrence
- Retribution
- Abuse of Power
- Police Officer
- Warrant Card
15.2 Keywords
- Corruption
- Police
- Singapore
- Criminal Law
- Sentencing
- Appeal
17. Areas of Law
| Area Name | Relevance Score |
|---|---|
| Prevention of Corruption Act | 95 |
| Criminal Law | 90 |
| Sentencing | 80 |
| Criminal Procedure | 80 |
| Young Offenders | 70 |
| Criminal conspiracy | 60 |
16. Subjects
- Criminal Law
- Corruption
- Sentencing