Formed 1952 | ||
Headquarters 2 Lengkok Bahru, Singapore 159047 Agency executive Wong Hong Kuan , Director Parent agency | ||
Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (Abbreviation: CPIB; Chinese: 贪污调查局; Malay: Biro Siasatan Pencegahan Rasuah) is a government agency in Singapore which investigates and prosecutes corruption in the public and private sectors. It was established by the British colonial government in 1952 and sited in the Attorney-General's Chambers. When Singapore attained self-government in 1959, the nation's first prime minister Lee Kuan Yew moved it to the Prime Minister's Office.
Although the primary function is to investigate corruption, it is empowered to investigate other criminal cases in which corruption may be involved.
Incorporated within the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the Bureau is headed by a director who reports directly to the Prime Minister. CPIB is therefore independent from the Singapore Police Force and other government agencies to prevent any undue interference in its investigations.
It also has the utmost right, similar to the Singapore's Internal Security Department, to detain suspects of corrupt practices without legal proceedings.
Overview
The Prevention of Corruption Act provides extensive powers to CPIB in the investigation of corruption, including:
As of January 2015, a review of the Prevention of Corruption Act and a new One-Stop Corruption Reporting Centre are in the works.
Probes carried out by the CPIB are habitually completed efficiently and with limited public exposure. High profile probes are rare although in July 2013, the Prime Minister's Office disclosed that CPIB opened 39 cases involving public officers each year for investigation over the last five years — making up about one in five of all cases handled. Among the investigations involving public officers, two-thirds led to prosecution or disciplinary action. High-profile acquittals include Ng Boon Gay of Central Narcotics Bureau who retired soon after.