SINGAPORE - To secure lucrative business deals worth $10 million, a general manager allegedly hid from the company he worked for that his wife ran the businesses it was making deals with.

Four Singaporeans who are allegedly part of this cheating conspiracy were charged in court on Thursday morning (March 10).

The accused are: Loh Yew Hui, 52, the then general manager of Heineken Asia Pacific Export (Hape); his wife Hazel Neo Peh Hoon, 50; Chan Poh Kim, 63; and then director of Pines Impex and Citrus Impex Melissa Teo Sue Tshin, 43.

The crimes were purportedly committed between March 2017 and July 2019, according to a statement by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Loh allegedly misled Hape to award a $6 million sale and purchase agreement to Pines Impex by dishonestly concealing from his company that his wife ran the business it was dealing with.

Loh used a similar ploy to strike a deal with Citrus Impex for 21,700 hectolitres of beer products valued at more than $4 million, said CPIB.

Checks online show that Pines Impex and Citrus Impex are in the business of trading goods.

CPIB said Loh and Neo each faced eleven charges of conspiring to conceal and convert benefits from criminal conduct worth some $2.47 million.

Of this amount, around $2.31 million was said to be concealed in the bank accounts of Neo, Teo and a private entity.

Chan faces six similar charges linked to $1.57 million, which he hid in part in the bank account of another individual and some of which he converted to premium payments for insurance policies.

Teo was handed three charges that include money laundering for Neo.

CPIB said those guilty of cheating can face a maximum of 10 years' jail and a fine. Those involved in money laundering can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined up to $500,000.

Corruption-related complaints and reports, including anonymous ones, can be made using CPIB's hotline on 1800-376-0000.