A former deputy group director of the Land Transport Authority (LTA) was yesterday charged with corruption involving $1.24 million in loans from contractors and sub-contractors.
Henry Foo Yung Thye, 46, who had a gambling habit and had chalked up debts, allegedly obtained gratification in the form of loans from contractors and sub-contractors of the LTA between 2014 and last year.
Some time early last year, the Singaporean also allegedly attempted to obtain gratification in the form of a loan of around $30,000 from a sub-contractor of the LTA in order to advance its business interest with the agency.
Foo also allegedly cheated his colleagues at the LTA into extending him loans totalling about $726,500 between 2008 and last year, by dishonestly concealing from them that the loans were intended to service his gambling habit and debts.
In total, he faces 36 charges. His bail has been set at $250,000.
Six individuals and a company which provided Foo with the loans to advance their business interests were also charged yesterday.
The individuals are: Chinese national Cai Jungang, 56, director of Tritech Engineering & Testing (Singapore); Singaporean Zhang Xihu, 52, director of MEPT Engineering; Singaporean Pay Teow Heng, 52, director of Tiong Seng Contractors; Singaporean Pek Lian Guan, 55, managing director of Tiong Seng Contractors; South Korean national Ro Sung-young, 48, project manager of Daewoo Engineering & Construction; and South Korean national Kim Young-gyu, 51, project director of Daewoo Engineering & Construction.
They were each offered bail, with the lowest set at $25,000 for Kim and the highest at $200,000 each for Pek and Pay.
China Railway Tunnel Group's Singapore branch (CRTG) was also charged with three counts of corruptly giving gratification in the form of loans of about $220,000 to Foo as an inducement to advance the company's business interest with the LTA.
Another person was also charged over offences involving the payments from CRTG. Singaporean Chen Xuguang, 53, was director of Tong Sheng Construction & Trading when he allegedly abetted the falsification of Tong Sheng invoices as a sub-contractor of CRTG. He was offered bail of $10,000.
The board of Tiong Seng Holdings said in a Singapore Exchange announcement yesterday that both Pek and Pay will relinquish their current executive roles in the company from July 31.
Pek will remain as adviser to the group, while Pay will be operational consultant to Tiong Seng Civil Engineering for a year. The board also said it will re-assess this arrangement "where appropriate in due course".
Anyone who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to $100,000 or jailed for up to five years, or both. If the offence is related to a matter or contract with the Government or a public body, the maximum jail term for each offence can be increased to seven years in jail. Those who are convicted of cheating or the falsification of accounts can be fined and jailed for up to 10 years.
In response to media queries, LTA said Foo is a former employee, but did not say when he left.
"As the case is now before court, we are unable to comment on the matter," a spokesman added.
Foo was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2013, when he was director of the Thomson-East Coast MRT line.
