Singapore jails Indian-origin immigration officer for obtaining sexual favours

An Indian-origin Singapore immigration officer was sentenced to 22 months' jail on Thursday for obtaining sexual favours in exchange for helping people get visit passes, a media report said here.

Kannan Morice Rajagopal Jayaram, an inspector with the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), had pleaded guilty to three charges of corruptly obtaining gratification in the form of sexual acts in exchange of helping the bribers with short-term visit pass applications.

Another three similar charges were considered in sentencing the 55-year-old Kannan, Channel News Asia reported.

Court papers detailed his encounters in 2022 and 2023 – including Indian nationals aged between 25 and 30 - who had come to Singapore to study, according to the channel report.

While there were prevailing guidelines governing short-term visit pass extensions, Kannan's subordinates would consult him if they encountered difficulties, and Kannan had the discretion to approve or reject any application, it said.

The prosecution called it an “appalling case.”

“Instead of acting as a custodian of our borders and as an impartial, unbiased, public representative of Singapore, the accused exploited these young foreigners,” the channel quoted the prosecutors as saying.

Kannan's jail term will begin on September 18.