by Elena Chong
A FORMER vehicle inspector was jailed 18 months on Monday for taking bribes in return for turning a blind eye to illegally modified cars.
Mohamed Daud Nadzim, 45, is one of six inspectors from STA Inspection who were questioned by anti-graft officers in a probe last year. None of the others has been charged.
Daud accepted a total of $1,675 from 14 people, mainly workshop representatives, in return for not carrying out stringent checks on vehicles which had illegal modifications done.
He pleaded guilty to 16 bribery charges. Fourteen others were taken into consideration.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Peggy Pao Pei Yu said Daud, who was relatively senior, had roped in two junior colleagues to help him pass the illegally modified vehicles.
The modifications were done mainly to windscreens, windows, lamps and exhaust pipes.