By Victoria Barker

A CERTIS Cisco auxiliary police officer was charged in court yesterday with abusing his position by accepting bribes from foreign construction workers who were violating the terms of their work permits.

M. Subramaniam, 42, allegedly turned a blind eye to the workers running a car-washing business in HDB estates andSunglade condominium in Serangoon.

Subramaniam, who has been employed by Certis Cisco since 1988, also allegedly moonlighted as a car-washer himself.

He obtained a car-washer's licence from HDB in 2003 - without his employer's permission. In April last year, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) conducted enquiries and field operations, rounding up several foreign workers working as car-washers.

Subramaniam was also picked up for questioning. He is alleged to have started accepting bribes from an Indian construction worker and car-washer in Sunglade condominium in May 2006. Around this time, he entered into a contract with the management of the condominium, which allowed him to ply his car-washing trade there.

Then, in September last year, he is said to have repeated the offence, this time with another Indian construction worker at an HDB carpark in Sengkang Central.

He was arrested by CPIB officers on Wednesday. Currently out on $10,000 bail, Subramaniam is represented by Mr S. Balamurugan and will appear in court again on Nov 20.

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