Ex-Wildlife Reserves Singapore manager admits to accepting over $51k in bribes
A former manager at Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) was given at least $500 a month for years, for turning a blind eye to the collusion between a construction firm and her boss on various projects.
Chin Fong Yi, 44, was also given $20,000, and on one occasion, a Chanel wallet by a project manager with Shin Yong Construction, in exchange for her lenient supervision of the firm's projects with WRS.
On Wednesday (Jan 26), Chin admitted to receiving gratification worth more than $51,000 from the firm for not reporting the arrangement her boss, Barry Chong Peng Wee, also known as Danial Chong, had with Shin Yong Construction and its contractors.
Chin pleaded guilty to 12 charges of corruptly obtaining bribes and using criminal proceeds to buy items, with another 67 charges taken into consideration.
Three men from the construction firm, as well as Chong, 54, will be dealt with later.
The court heard on Wednesday that Chong would be paid commission for projects awarded to the firm and the contractors it colluded with.
He would send the job specifications for a project to Too Say Kiong, 55, a foreman with the construction firm, and ask him to get his group of contractors to put in quotes for the project.
Chin's job at WRS during her nine-year stint involved project coordination, upgrading works, drafting job specifications and sourcing quotes from contractors.
Sometime in 2010 or 2011, she noticed that the prices on the quotations submitted by Shin Yong Construction and its group of contractors were very similar.
She suspected that the contractors could be price-fixing with Chong and that he was getting rewards to give jobs to the firm or these contractors.
Chin met Too and asked if there was such an arrangement, and Too told her to "keep quiet and close one eye", said Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheng Yuxi.
Too then offered her a stack of $50 notes which she understood was a reward for her silence. Chin rejected the offer.
Sometime later, Too met her and offered her another stack of $50 notes. He told her that her boss was taking money and asked her why she was not doing the same.
Chin then accepted the money.
Too would give Chin at least $500 a month after that.
In August 2014, Chin met Toh Yong Soon, 36, a project manager with Shin Yong Construction, for lunch at Orchard Road and saw a black Chanel wallet which cost $1,250.
She told Toh that she liked the wallet. He took this to mean she wanted him to buy it for her.
In all, Chin received more than $51,750 in bribes comprising a monthly sum of at least $500 for every month between April 2010 and April 2015, at least $20,000 given in May 2015 and the Chanel wallet.
The prosecution called for nine months' jail and a penalty order of $51,750. Chin is scheduled for sentencing on Feb 16.
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