SINGAPORE – The chief information officer at the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) was fined $2,000 on Thursday (July 15) after he pleaded guilty to a drink driving charge.
Bernard Donald Miranda, 59, who is also the director of the corporate operations division at the ministry, was disqualified from driving all classes of vehicles for two years.
The court heard that the Singaporean had consumed some wine over dinner at his brother’s home on the evening of March 18.
He was driving home along Sembawang Road at around 9pm when he was caught.
Miranda was later found with 43mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath. The prescribed limit is 35mcg of alcohol in 100ml of breath.
In his mitigation on Thursday, he told the court that he had acted out of character, adding: “I have done something wrong… It won’t happen again.”
He also said that he has since sold his car and is not driving any more.
The Straits Times had earlier reported that before joining MTI, Miranda was a rear-admiral with the Republic of Singapore Navy (RSN).
He later became an adjunct senior fellow with the Maritime Security Programme at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
He is no longer affiliated with the school.
According to its website: “He was the Commander Task Group for three missions to the North Arabian Gulf in support of the reconstruction of Iraq; Mission Commander of the Republic of Singapore Navy’s first deployment to the anti-piracy mission in the Gulf of Aden; and RSN’s first Commander CTF 151, the combined force dealing with Somalia piracy in the Gulf of Aden.”
ST checked the Singapore Government Directory website at around 9.30am on Thursday and found that he still holds the positions at MTI.
ST also asked the ministry whether it would be taking any disciplinary action against him.
For drink driving, a first-time offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $10,000.
A repeat offender can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $20,000.