The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is an independent agency of the

Government of Singapore The government of Singapore is defined by the Constitution of Singapore, Constitution of the Republic of Singapore to consist of the President of Singapore, President and the Executive. Executive authority of Singapore is vested in the Presi ...

responsible for the investigation and prosecution of any possible serious or complex

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

and

corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

. The CPIB has the mandate to investigate into any acts or forms of corruption in the public and private sectors in Singapore, and in the course of doing so, any other offences under any written law, with the powers of arrest. The CPIB has been credited for being one of the main contributors to the transformation of Singapore into one of the least corrupt nations in the world, additionally being the most transparent in the whole of

Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...

as per indexes such as the

Corruption Perceptions Index The Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) is an index that scores and ranks countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption, as assessed by experts and business executives. The CPI generally defines corruption as an "abuse of entr ...

(CPI).

History

Formerly known as the Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) within the

Singapore Police Force The Singapore Police Force (SPF) is the national and principal Police, law enforcement agency responsible for the prevention of crime and law enforcement in the Republic of Singapore. It is the country's lead agency against organised crime; hum ...

(SPF), the CPIB was first established in 1952 as an independent agency under the purview of the

attorney-general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. Having been under the purview of the

Ministry of Home Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...

(MHA) during its earlier years, the agency remained under the purview of the attorney-general until it was transferred to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) in 1969.

Legal framework

Enacted on 17 June 1960, the ''Prevention of Corruption Act'' (PCA) is the primary anti-corruption law in Singapore. The following are provided for under the PCA: * Powers for the CPIB to investigate bribery in all forms, both monetary and non-monetary in nature, and in both the public and private sectors; * Extraterritorial powers for the CPIB to deal with corrupt acts committed by a Singapore citizen outside Singapore as though these were committed in Singapore; * Fine of up to S$100,000 or an imprisonment term not exceeding 5 years, or to both, for each count of corruption; * Fine of up to S$100,000 or an imprisonment term not exceeding 7 years, or to both, for each count of corruption in relation to a contract or a proposal for a contract with the Government; * Presumption where any gratification given or received by a person in the employment of the Government or of a public body is deemed corrupt, and the burden of proof to rebut the presumption lies with the person; * Forfeiture of gratification received in the form of a penalty equivalent to the amount of bribes received upon conviction; and * Non-disclosure of the name or address of any informer, or any matter which might lead to the discovery of the informer's identity. The CPIB also operates with functional independence from the police and nominally from the government, and is headed by a director who reports directly to the Prime Minister but may also additionally report to the President, especially if the former refuses to give consent for a formal investigation or there's a potential case against the Prime Minister themselves. The agency may also, in the course of its investigations, come across cases which reveal corruption-prone areas or loopholes in procedures in government departments. Based on its findings, CPIB may review the department concerned and recommend changes in their procedures. In addition to its primary function of investigating corruption offences, the CPIB also undertakes public education and community outreach efforts relating to anti-corruption. The director of the CPIB can also report to the

president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

if the prime minister refuses any investigation or prosecution to be taken place.

Cases

In April 2019, the CPIB reported that it received 358 corruption-related reports, and registered 107 new cases for investigation in 2018. Cases involving the private sector continued to form the majority, or 88%, of all new cases registered for investigation by the CPIB in 2018. The conviction rate remained high, averaging 98% from 2014 to 2018. The CPIB is committed to fight corruption with resolve, by strengthening its interview tradecraft, intelligence and investigative support capabilities.

Notable cases

Some notable cases tackled by the CPIB are the operation against Chap Ji Kee lottery syndicates, the corruption trial against Minister of State Wee Toon Boon and the investigation of Minister Teh Cheang Wan. The latest high profile case involved former Transport Minister S. Iswaran.

References

External links