Corruption-related cases rise by 4% in 2021: CPIB

The majority of the cases were from the private sector.

Corruption-related cases in Singapore rose by 4% to 249 in 2021, data from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) showed.

Of the total, 83 (33%) were new cases registered for investigation.

Of the new cases, 74 (89%) were from the private sector, and nine (12%) involves public sector employees rejecting bribes offered by private sector individuals.

Despite the increase in cases, CPIB assured that the corruption situation in Singapore remains "firmly under control," given that the bureau was able to complete an investigation into 87% of subjects investigated in 2021, and the conviction rate stood at 98%.

The uptick in cases also did not affect Singapore's standing as one of the top least corrupt countries in the world, ranking fourth out of 180 counties in the Corruption Perceptions Index.

"The consistently high conviction rate is testament to the high quality of the Bureau’s investigation to be able to stand up to scrutiny in Court, as well as the working relationship between CPIB and the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) in bringing corrupt offenders to task," CPIB said.

The bureau said 165 individuals were prosecuted in court last year for offences investigated by them, of which, 93% (154) were private sector individuals while the remaining 7% (11) were public sector employees.