Yahoo Finance 2 ex-NParks directors charged with receiving hotel stay as bribes
SINGAPORE — Two former directors in National Parks Board (NParks) were charged on Tuesday (6 April) for accepting bribes in the form of a hotel stay to advance a firm's business interest with NParks.
Senior Director of NParks’ Municipal Landscapes Division (MLD) Teva Raj Palanisamy, 69, and Director of Nparks' MLD Johnny Go Kau Chai, 51, are said to have accepted a hotel stay worth $258.42 while in the Macao Special Administrative Region of China in 2018.
Teva and Go are said to have accepted the offer from General Manager of Ho Eng Huat Construction, Zulfiqar Abdullah@Tjioe Hock Siew Thomas, as an inducement for advancing the business interest of the company with NParks in relation to existing contracts or future proposals for contracts.
Between 2018 and 2020, Teva, who is Singaporean, also allegedly obtained bribes in the form of transport services on six occasions. He allegedly obtained these services as gratification from Ong Eng Soon, Director of Soon Sin Contracts, in order to advance the business interest of the company with NParks in relation to existing contracts or future proposals for contracts.
Teva was handed two charges, one of which was amalgamated, while Go, also a Singaporean, was handed one charge. All their charges are under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
Teva will plead guilty on 21 May, while Go will return on 4 May.
If convicted of a corruption offence, each man can be fined up to $100,000 or jailed up to five years, or both. The maximum jail term for each offence of corruption can be increased to seven years if it is in relation to a matter or contract with the government or public body, or a subcontract to execute work in such a contract.
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