PA employee fined $5k for lying to CPIB

Constituency director gave false information about a volunteer

A fitness trainer who lied to his client that he needed $10,000 for his father's chemotherapy treatment was jailed for four months on Friday for cheating her of $5,000. -- PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS
A fitness trainer who lied to his client that he needed $10,000 for his father's chemotherapy treatment was jailed for four months on Friday for cheating her of $5,000. -- PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

A SENIOR employee of the People's Association was fined $5,000 yesterday for giving false information to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) about a constituency volunteer.

Jo Soh Bee Ching, 40, who was the director of the Changi-Simei constituency, told an anti-graft investigator the volunteer had signed statements in her presence disclosing a conflict of interest when he joined a company that had dealings with the club.

But, in fact, the statements were made only when CPIB came inquiring about a complaint against him, more than two years later.

Mr Chia Chee Sin, who was the youth executive committee chairman at Changi-Simei Community Club, worked for a company called J Force Events.

Soh, who is under suspension, had been asked for a report from her superiors about Mr Chia and she submitted two conflict of interest disclosure statements purportedly signed by him in her presence on March 1, 2009, and Oct 10, 2010.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sanjiv Vaswani said Soh had done this to hide the fact that she had failed in her duties.

In the report submitted to the PA's chief executive director on Sept 7, 2011, Soh stated that Mr Chia had declared his interest on March 1, 2009, when he was first employed by J Force Events, but this was untrue.

The statement had been signed later and then backdated.

The offences were committed to cover up her wrongdoing in her role, said the DPP.

District Judge Lim Tse Haw said Soh had betrayed the trust in her as a constituency director.

Soh, whose postgraduate studies in public administration were sponsored by the PA, pleaded guilty to one charge and had another considered.

She could have been fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed for up to one year.

elena@sph.com.sg

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