SINGAPORE - For more than five years, a former manager at Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS) was given at least $500 a month for turning a blind eye to the collusion between a construction firm and her boss on projects with WRS.

Chin Fong Yi, 44, was also given a Chanel wallet by a project manager at Shin Yong Construction in exchange for her lenient supervision of the firm's projects with WRS.

On Wednesday (Jan 26), Chin admitted to receiving bribes worth more than $51,750 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 a 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 at 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 offered her a stack of $50 notes which she understood to be a reward for her silence. But 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 continue giving Chin at least $500 a month.

In August 2014, Chin met Toh Yong Soon, 36, a project manager at Shin Yong Construction, for lunch in 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 that she wanted him to buy it for her.

In total, Chin received more than $51,750 in bribes. This comprised a sum of at least $500 given 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.