Senior MFA official admits to giving false information to public servant

The director-general lied about a package that he wanted to send via diplomatic bag

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

A director-general at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) pleaded guilty on April 26 to giving false information to a public servant.

Gilbert Oh Hin Kwan, 45, admitted that he had lied to Mr Ong Eng Chuan, then MFA deputy secretary (management), on Jan 19, 2023.

Oh's two cheating charges linked to the use of the diplomatic bag service will be considered during sentencing.

A diplomatic bag is used for sending official correspondence and items to and from the ministry and its overseas offices, such as embassies or consulates.

It is sealed and protected by diplomatic immunity and cannot be opened, searched or seized by Customs officials.

Oh's troubles with the law started when he wanted to do a personal favour for a female friend, who is a Chinese national, by helping her send her watches from China to Singapore.

The prosecution said that the friend, identified in court documents as Ms Jiang Si, was not a diplomat.

On Jan 12, 2023, Oh contacted his colleague, Mr Dion Loke Cheng Wang, who was then attached to the Singapore Embassy in Beijing, and lied to the latter, claiming that the parents of his friend a Chinese diplomat wanted to have "something in a package" delivered to Oh in Singapore.

Oh asked for Mr Loke's help to send it from Beijing to Singapore via the diplomatic bag service and Mr Loke agreed to the request.

Oh also provided Mr Loke's residential address in Beijing to Ms Jiang and she arranged for a sealed package to be delivered to Mr Loke.