SINGAPORE: A former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) was sentenced to jail on Wednesday (Nov 20) along with a company director who had bribed him for contracts.
Victor Wong Chee Meng, 59, was sentenced to 27 months' jail while 64-year-old Chia Sin Lan, whose two companies provided construction services to town councils, received 21 months' jail.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe two companies 19-ANC and 19-NS2 were fined S$75,000 each.
District Judge John Ng said Wong's corrupt acts "were particularly reprehensible" as he knew the town council's code of conduct, which he reminded his employees of.
"Instead of giving a good example ... he had acted hypocritically," said the judge. "He has committed a grave mistake by succumbing to corruption and falling from grace. He must now face the consequences of his actions."
Both men pleaded guilty in March this year after several weeks of trial, with Wong admitting to receiving more than S$86,000 in bribes from Chia between December 2014 and September 2016.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe bulk of this was in entertainment expenses for a sum of S$34,000 - Chia would take Wong out for entertainment at KTV lounges, massage parlours and restaurants.
[h=3]READ: AMKTC trial: Pair accused of corruption spent 'over S$4,000' on entertainment in one night[/h]Wong, who was also an employee at CPG Facilities Management, the managing agent of AMKTC at the time, also received a S$13,500 discount on a car purchase. His China mistress Xu Hongmei, whom he met at a KTV lounge, also received remittances of S$27,800 from Chia.
Because of the steady stream of bribes, Wong became "beholden" to Chia, and was induced into advancing the business contracts of Chia's firms, 19-ANC and 19-NS2 with AMKTC.
The companies were awarded more projects by AMKTC in 2015 than in 2014, during the period when Wong was being bribed, said the prosecution.
The increase continued in 2016, when 19-ANC was awarded Invitations to Quote worth about S$121,000, up from S$9,800 in 2014.
[h=3]READ: Director accused of bribery threatened to report me to CPIB, says witness[/h][h=3]READ: Former GM’s mistress repaid half of an alleged S$20,000 bribe, says defence[/h]Wong admitted that he felt obligated to Chia's companies after receiving bribes from their director, and wanted to help them using his authority at work.
His intervention ranged from highlighting the unsatisfactory track record of vendors competing against Chia's firms for tenders to overtly recommending Chia's firms.
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