Indian-origin Singaporean woman jailed over five years for offering bribe to police

Indian-origin Singaporean jailed for offering bribe to police officers for smoking cigarette

Singapore, Aug 29 An Indian-origin Singaporean drug abuser, out on bail and remission, was sentenced to an over five years jail for offering a bribe of SGD 1,000 to police officers for allowing her to smoke a cigarette in 2022.

Radika Rajavarma, 42, pleaded guilty on Thursday to multiple offences including drug consumption and offering a bribe, The Straits Times reported on Friday.

She had been in and out of jail since 2018 for drug abuse, and was last convicted of methamphetamine consumption in 2020. She was sentenced to three and a half years’ jail before she was released on bail in June 2022 and placed on a remission order for five years.

But she was arrested again on July 29, 2023 for drug consumption, and when her urine samples found to contain traces of methamphetamine, she was charged two days later and released on bail the same day.

When she continued to absent herself for urine tests and failed to turn up in court in October that year, she was re-arrested, according to the newspaper.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh said that Radika was allowed to smoke a few sticks of cigarettes following her arrest on October 4, 2022 before she boarded a police vehicle.

The accused requested for one last stick (of cigarette) as the vehicle neared the destination but when the officers replied that she was not allowed to smoke as she was under police custody, Radika offered them a bribe of SGD 1,000. They rejected the offer.

A local court sentenced her to five years, eight months and four weeks’ jail. She must also spend another 256 days behind bars after she breached a remission order, the newspaper added.