Please enlighten me because I am confused. I am confused with this piece of news which I read in the papers this morning. If you are confused about what I am talking about, well, it's that piece of news about a Customs Officer in Johor Bahru was moved to desk duty following an internal investigation made against him for allegedly receiving monies on behalf of Customs without issuing an official receipt. Full report here.
To summarise, a complainant lodged a complaint that Customs officers at the Second Link had solicited a bribe from him for a video game console he bought in Singapore. He had claimed that he was asked to pay RM244, duty amounting to 30% of the purchase price of the product. Upon an enquiry whether the duty could be waived as the product was meant to be a present for his son, the complainant was asked to pay RM50.00 to which no receipt would be given. Whilst the news report did not state whether the Customs Officer did accept the money without giving a receipt, the report did say that following internal investigations, the Customs Officer was transferred to desk duties and will no longer have dealings with the public.
To me, it's pretty simple.
If following the investigation, he was found guilty of accepting money whilst on duty without issuing an official receipt, that tantamounts to improper conduct which deserves the sack. You can call it anyway you like but to me, it smells like bribery and bribery is an offence. To move him to a desk job is telling the public that this guy is still "OK" and he can still work in Customs nevermind his integrity being dented or destroyed by this act. What kind of a punishment is this?
If however, there are no merits to the complaint, why punish the poor fella with desk duties? He should not be punished or transferred if he had done nothing wrong.
So, you tell me...which is the more likely scenario - guilty but let off lightly or innocent but punished unjustly?
To summarise, a complainant lodged a complaint that Customs officers at the Second Link had solicited a bribe from him for a video game console he bought in Singapore. He had claimed that he was asked to pay RM244, duty amounting to 30% of the purchase price of the product. Upon an enquiry whether the duty could be waived as the product was meant to be a present for his son, the complainant was asked to pay RM50.00 to which no receipt would be given. Whilst the news report did not state whether the Customs Officer did accept the money without giving a receipt, the report did say that following internal investigations, the Customs Officer was transferred to desk duties and will no longer have dealings with the public.
To me, it's pretty simple.
If following the investigation, he was found guilty of accepting money whilst on duty without issuing an official receipt, that tantamounts to improper conduct which deserves the sack. You can call it anyway you like but to me, it smells like bribery and bribery is an offence. To move him to a desk job is telling the public that this guy is still "OK" and he can still work in Customs nevermind his integrity being dented or destroyed by this act. What kind of a punishment is this?
If however, there are no merits to the complaint, why punish the poor fella with desk duties? He should not be punished or transferred if he had done nothing wrong.
So, you tell me...which is the more likely scenario - guilty but let off lightly or innocent but punished unjustly?
