Ex-deputy director at PA fined $10k for giving false information about quotations
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Vincent Chang Yew Teck (left) hid behind his lawyer as he exited the State Courts after pleading guilty on Oct 14.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
SINGAPORE – A former deputy director of facilities management at the People’s Association (PA) for Our Tampines Hub was fined $10,000 for lying about quotation documents.
On Oct 14, Vincent Chang Yew Teck, 64, pleaded guilty to two counts of giving false information to a public servant. Two other similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
Chang’s subordinate, Lee Kian Wee, 51, a senior facilities manager of contracts at PA, is also involved in the case.
Another accomplice is Soh Chun Kang, 42, a senior key account manager at UEMS Solutions. The company helps PA manage term contractors for Our Tampines Hub.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Michelle Tay told the court that PA’s term contractor for minor building works at Our Tampines Hub was a firm named Propell Integrated.
The contract between PA and Propell Integrated contains the prices for a list of building works, while other works not in the list are called “star rate” works.
When works within the list were required, Propell Integrated had to submit its own quotation to UEMS.
When “star rate” work was required, Propell Integrated had to submit one quotation from itself, with two supporting quotations from other sub-contractors, to UEMS.
For both types of works, UEMS had to prepare a series of forms requesting and recording quotations, and submit its recommendations to PA.
But, in truth, these forms were never prepared. PA and UEMS had instructed the contractor to start work first without going through the proper quotation processes.
Describing how they cut corners for “star rate” works, DPP Tay said: “It was only after Propell had completed the work that (it) belatedly submitted the three quotations to PA and UEMS, for PA to issue a purchase order and to approve the necessary payment to Propell.”
The Auditor-General’s Office (AGO) conducted an audit of the building works at Our Tampines Hub between July 2020 and March 2021.
It sampled 36 purchase orders for building works carried out between November 2017 to January 2020. AGO requested PA to provide the quotation forms related to the sampled purchase orders.
On Jan 28, 2021, Chang, Lee, Soh and one Ms Angela Teo, a senior manager at UEMS, held a meeting.
Knowing the quotation documents did not exist, Chang and Lee told Soh and Ms Teo to create backdated documents to submit to AGO.
During the audit, AGO detected that false information was submitted. Court documents did not elaborate how the AGO did so.
A total of 142 backdated documents were submitted to the AGO, according to a police statement about the case on Jan 31.
However, DPP Tay noted that there was no evidence of monetary loss caused to PA, and the works were satisfactorily completed.
She added that Chang, Lee and Soh also did not receive financial benefits from the offences.
DPP Tay said Lee and Soh had pleaded guilty in July and were fined $8,000 each. It was not revealed in court if Ms Teo was charged.
The prosecutor argued for a higher fine for Chang as he had the highest position of authority among the trio.
Chang’s lawyer, Mr Rohit Singh of Regal Law, said his client was “extremely remorseful” for what happened.
PA told The Straits Times on Jan 31 that Chang and Lee were no longer its employees.
