SINGAPORE: A former assistant buyer for SMRT was charged on Friday (Aug 20) with corruption and forgery after allegedly taking more than S$54,000 in bribes, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
Soh Choon Heng, 43, allegedly received the bribes from company directors and gave them information about quotations made to SMRT by competing vendors.
This was in order to advance the business interests of their companies with SMRT, said CPIB.
From 2016 to 2020, Soh allegedly accepted bribes totalling at least S$24,450 from Yong Ming Jun, who was then the director of vehicle spare parts supplier Euro Bremse. Soh and Yong were each given five charges for corruption offences.
Between 2017 and 2019, Soh also allegedly received at least S$28,700 from Wong King Mooi, then the director of vehicle spare parts supplier CEE Technologies. Both face three charges of corruption each.
Soh was also suspected of receiving at least S$900 in bribes in 2015 from another company director, whom CPIB did not name in its press release. He was given one corruption charge for that offence.
Additionally, Soh was given four charges over his suspected forgery of SMRT officials’ signatures on procurement documents.
In November 2017, Soh allegedly “fraudulently appended” the signature of an SMRT procurement manager on two letters of agreement.
This was done with the intention of causing others to believe that the documents were signed by the procurement manager, when in fact they were not, said CPIB.
He allegedly repeated this in December 2017 and May 2018, with the signature of SMRT’s director of procurement on two supply contracts.
Anyone convicted of a corruption offence can be jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000 or both.
If Yong is found guilty of forgery, he could be jailed for up to four years, fined or both.
“Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and other criminal activities,” said CPIB.
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Soh Choon Heng, 43, allegedly received the bribes from company directors and gave them information about quotations made to SMRT by competing vendors.
This was in order to advance the business interests of their companies with SMRT, said CPIB.
From 2016 to 2020, Soh allegedly accepted bribes totalling at least S$24,450 from Yong Ming Jun, who was then the director of vehicle spare parts supplier Euro Bremse. Soh and Yong were each given five charges for corruption offences.
Between 2017 and 2019, Soh also allegedly received at least S$28,700 from Wong King Mooi, then the director of vehicle spare parts supplier CEE Technologies. Both face three charges of corruption each.
Soh was also suspected of receiving at least S$900 in bribes in 2015 from another company director, whom CPIB did not name in its press release. He was given one corruption charge for that offence.
Additionally, Soh was given four charges over his suspected forgery of SMRT officials’ signatures on procurement documents.
In November 2017, Soh allegedly “fraudulently appended” the signature of an SMRT procurement manager on two letters of agreement.
This was done with the intention of causing others to believe that the documents were signed by the procurement manager, when in fact they were not, said CPIB.
He allegedly repeated this in December 2017 and May 2018, with the signature of SMRT’s director of procurement on two supply contracts.
Anyone convicted of a corruption offence can be jailed for up to five years, fined up to S$100,000 or both.
If Yong is found guilty of forgery, he could be jailed for up to four years, fined or both.
“Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and other criminal activities,” said CPIB.
Continue reading...