SINGAPORE - A man accused of two counts of corruption, including bribing a policeman with $20,000, has walked free after both charges were withdrawn following a stern warning.

Mr Wang Huate, 41, was then given a discharge amounting to an acquittal on April 9.

This means the Singaporean cannot be charged again with the same offences.

In a statement to The Straits Times on April 29, the Attorney-General’s Chambers said that the prosecution asked for a stern warning to be given and then applied for the discharge after careful consideration of the facts and circumstances.

Mr Wang was accused of giving a bribe of $20,000 to Poo Tze Chiang, 46, at a carpark at the HillV2 shopping mall in Hillview Rise on or around Feb 22, 2020.

He was also accused of engaging in a conspiracy with another person to give a red packet containing $2,000 to Poo in Geylang Road in September 2019.

Among other things, the money was purportedly given so that Poo would help in the police’s investigations against Mr Wang. Court documents did not disclose details about the investigations.

Poo, a station inspector, was suspended in December 2020 and his case is pending.

For each count of graft, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $100,000.