Woman fined after her company's private investigators surveilled police officer

SINGAPORE: A woman was fined S$24,000 (US$18,870) on Tuesday (Sep 15) for consenting to a private investigator from her firm conducting surveillance on a police officer.

The client had engaged the company to gather information on an investigating officer who was handling a case involving his father.

Tan Hui Ting, a partner at private investigation and security firm CDiC Consultants, pleaded guilty to one charge under the Private Security Industry Act of consenting to her company supplying a private investigator to conduct surveillance on a police officer.

Another charge was taken into consideration.

The 33-year-old Singaporean woman paid the fine in full.

THE CASE

The court heard that Hui Ting was a partner at CDiC Consultants along with co-accused Tan Kok Boon.

In November 2021, a man named Pai Hong Yao approached CDiC to hire a private investigator to look into Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Lee Tien Huat.

DSP Lee was a police officer at the Police Cantonment Complex, a protected area.

He had been assigned to investigate a matter involving Mr Pai's father, and Mr Pai was dissatisfied with the manner in which the investigations were being conducted.

Mr Pai met Hui Ting and Kok Boon at CDiC on Nov 29, 2021, to discuss the engagement. They learned that the target was a police officer, and that Mr Pai wanted to know if he was a "good or bad policeman".

Hui Ting and Kok Boon then consented to CDiC being engaged by Mr Pai to supply the services of a licensed private investigator to surveil and gather information on DSP Lee.

Hui Ting sent a formal letter of engagement to Mr Pai that same day, which he signed and returned.

CDiC began investigating DSP Lee around Nov 30, 2021, after receiving his photograph, mobile number and workplace information.

Mr Pai subsequently sent more messages identifying people whom DSP Lee may have interacted with in the investigations against Mr Pai's father, including the name and photo of the lead prosecutor.

From Dec 16, 2021 to Jan 9, 2022, CDiC deployed private investigators to surveil DSP Lee at his residence and his workplace.

The investigators tracked his whereabouts during the day and photographed him, including two pictures of him standing topless in his kitchen.

Some surveillance operations lasted more than 12 hours, with one instance beginning at 7.35am and ending at midnight.

The private investigators also called the Police Cantonment Complex to determine if DSP Lee was inside the building.

During the engagement, Hui Ting provided Mr Pai with regular updates, including photographs of DSP Lee, his vehicles and his home.

In total, CDiC received S$25,100 from Mr Pai for the job.

The company did not obtain the written approval of a licensing officer to conduct surveillance on a police officer.

At about 4.15pm on Jan 9, 2022, DSP Lee noticed that he was being followed by a group of people.

He filed a police report the following day.

Deputy Public Prosecutors Hairul Hakkim and Bharat Punjabi sought a S$25,000 fine for Hui Ting, which is what Kok Boon received.

They cited the security of government premises and broader interests of national security and public order.

The prosecutors said the Police Cantonment Complex was not merely a building but the operational heart of the Singapore Police Force and other law enforcement departments, and was a protected area for good reason.

Defence lawyer Aristotle Eng said a fine of not more than S$18,000 was appropriate, saying that Kok Boon was the managing director of the firm and had exercised a supervisory role over the operation.

Hui Ting's role was mainly client-facing and involved coordinating a group chat to relay updates on the assignment, said Mr Eng.

He said the difference in their decision-making and involvement supports the lower fine sought.

The defence also said the surveillance did not capture DSP Lee engaging in any confidential or secretive operations, and that all the surveillance took place outside the Police Cantonment Complex.

For consenting to her company allowing its private investigator to conduct surveillance on a police officer, Hui Ting could have been jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$50,000 or both.