Ex-enforcement officer for HSA contractor charged with seeking bribes over vape raids
An enforcement supervisor from a Health and Sciences Authority-contracted company has been charged for attempting to obtain bribes in exchange for information regarding a HSA vape raid.Michael Anthony Pillai, a 34-year-old Singaporean, was charged in court on Friday (Sept 5) under the Prevention of Corruption Act.Pillay had attempted to obtain bribes amounting to $8,000 on multiple occasions in 2024 from Chua Wee Ming in exchange for exclusive information about vape raids conducted by HSA, said a statement by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).He was working for WSH Experts, a private agency subcontracted to aid HSA's tobacco regulation unit, reported CNA.Chua, a 34-year-old Malaysian man, has been linked to a vape stash worth more than $6 million which was seized by HSA.Chua's methods to do so included getting a 38-year-old man to smuggle vapes into Singapore and enlisting a fellow Malaysian man to conduct surveillance on the warehouse holding the confiscated vapes, reported CNA.