SINGAPORE, Sept 5 — A 28-year-old policeman was sentenced to six months’ jail yesterday after he pleaded guilty to taking and later discarding a mobile data terminal that belonged to the Singapore Police Force.

Police officers use the terminal to feedback live information on operations and investigations to their operations room and vice versa.

Joel Lim Jian Da later pretended to take part in a search for the equipment, then lied in three statements that he did not see it. He owned up almost a year later. 

He also unlawfully kept 64 documents protected under the Official Secrets Act, a lost National Registration Identity Card (NRIC) that someone handed in, two student EZ-Link stored-value transport cards and another officer’s police driving permit.

At the time of his offences from 2015 to 2016, he was a sergeant at the Tampines Neighbourhood Police Centre.

He has been suspended from service since September 30, 2016. 

In response to queries yesterday, the police told TODAY that they have started disciplinary proceedings against Lim following his conviction.

Colleague left terminal in car

In the wee hours of October 17, 2015, Lim’s female colleague had to attend to an incident.

She used Lim’s police car to get there. They had been doing roadblock duties together.

She placed the mobile data terminal, called an ES400 set, from her original vehicle in the cup holder of Lim’s car.

The set was valued at S$1,368 (RM4,159.72).

Upon returning to his vehicle, Lim noticed the terminal there and took it.

The policewoman noticed it was missing about 20 minutes later and extensive searches were made to find it.

Lim admitted nearly a year later to taking it and claimed that he threw it into a bin.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Genevieve Pang said: "Significant police resources were expended as part of the internal inquiry, which included interviewing officers who were present at the scene at the material time, such as the accused. 

"Due to the false information provided by the accused, it was thought at the time that the eventual loss of the ES400 set was entirely due to (the policewoman’s) fault.”

Other discoveries 

A search of Lim’s flat led to the discovery that he had taken the lost NRIC home and kept it, after a member of the public handed it to him at the Tampines Neighbourhood Police Centre in 2015. He did not file a "found property” report.

In April 2016, a colleague handed over her driving permit to the police centre’s maintenance staff members to get keys to a police vehicle.

She realised her permit was missing after she returned the keys.

Lim claimed that the maintenance staff members had asked him to return the permit to his colleague, but he kept it at home instead.

Lim’s lawyer Anand Nalachandran said that Lim had difficulties explaining why he committed the offences. 

The items were not misused and Lim did not gain from his deeds, Nalachandran said. 

The police said that their officers are expected to uphold the law and maintain the highest standards of conduct and integrity. 

"We deal severely with officers who break the law, including charging them in court.” 

For mischief that caused more than S$500 in losses, Lim could have been jailed up to two years or fined, or received both penalties.

Giving false information to a public servant carries the same punishment. — TODAY