20 months’ jail for ex-Surbana employee who received bribes from sub-contractors in BTO project

SINGAPORE - A Surbana Site Supervisors employee, who was tasked to assess work performed at a Build-To-Order (BTO) project by the Housing Board,

obtained bribes totalling $50,500 from seven sub-contractors.

For more than 30 months, Seow Koon Thong, 60, who was then working as a resident technical officer (RTO) for the manpower service company, actively solicited the bribes in exchange for not showing disfavour to the sub-contractors when he assessed their work at Rivervale Shores – a BTO project in Sengkang launched in 2017.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Norman Yew said: “As Seow had the power to withhold his approval of the sub-contractors’ work, (they) were pressured to give in to his demands for fear of incurring additional costs, should Seow unduly withhold his approval of their work.

“Investigations did not disclose any defect or compromise in the quality of the work performed by the... sub-contractors in the Rivervale project. None of their assigned work pertained to safety-related issues in the project. The project is still being carried out.”

Seow, who is no longer working for Surbana Site Supervisors, was sentenced to 20 months’ jail on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to four graft charges involving four then directors at different companies and $30,500 in bribes.

The four, who were directors at the time of the offences, are Mr Ang Sek Chai from MW Dynamics, Mr Yue Shien Chin from Sun Power Electrical, Mr Chan Chew Leh from Reclaims Enterprise and Mr Sun Guiyang from Sun Jin Hong Construction.

Five other similar charges, including those involving the other sub-contractors and the remaining amount in bribes, were considered during sentencing.

According to court documents, the other sub-contractors involved are Sheng Yi Construction, Hong Ann Jie Contractor and He Shun Xin Construction.

Out of the total amount in bribes received, Seow spent $15,450 on his personal expenses. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau has since seized from him the remaining $35,050.

He had worked for Surbana Site Supervisors from 2003 until his resignation in February 2021, earning $5,500 a month.

In 2017, HDB signed an agreement with infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong Group for the latter to provide services in the Rivervale Shores BTO project.

Surbana Jurong Group then engaged Surbana Site Supervisors to provide RTOs to supervise works at the project site.

In June 2018, Surbana Site Supervisors assigned Seow to be the sole lead RTO to oversee the work of contractors and sub-contractors at all 16 blocks of flats in the project.

Around June 2018, Seow had a meeting with Mr Chan from Reclaims Enterprise and suggested to him that they “work together”.

DPP Yew said: “Seow meant that Chan should pay him money in exchange for forbearing to show disfavour to Reclaims in relation to Seow’s assessment of Reclaims’ work at the Rivervale project.”

Mr Chan understood this meaning as well, and, feeling pressured by Seow, agreed to do so.

Seow then corruptly obtained a total of $5,000 in cash from Mr Chan between June 2018 and March 2019.

Seow also committed similar offences involving Mr Ang, Mr Yue and Mr Sun from late 2018 to January 2020.

Court documents did not disclose how the offences came to light, but Seow was charged with multiple counts of graft in April 2022.

On Thursday, defence lawyer K. Manickam said her client had acted out of character and is extremely remorseful.

Seow’s bail has been set at $80,000, and he was ordered to surrender himself at the State Courts on Jan 25, 2023, to begin serving his sentence.