DSTA manager allegedly told another man about three projects; both charged under OSA
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Hsu Yee Chern (left), who was a DSTA programme manager, is alleged to have shared information on three projects with Tan Kian Meng.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
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SINGAPORE – A manager from the Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) allegedly shared information on three projects with an external party who had dealings with DSTA at the time.
On Sept 13, both men were charged under the Official Secrets Act.
The DSTA is a statutory board under the Ministry of Defence handling projects involving both the ministry and the Singapore Armed Forces.
Hsu Yee Chern, 52, a DSTA programme manager, faces four charges for wrongfully communicating information he had access to owing to his position.
He is alleged to have shared the information between Dec 3, 2018, and May 3, 2019, with Tan Kian Meng, 46, who was a project manager at a company that had dealings with DSTA at the time.
Tan faces four charges for receiving the information.
According to the charge sheets, the information related to tenders, bids and budgets involving works for a toilet and several buildings.
A spokesman for DSTA said the agency takes a serious view of any misconduct by its staff and that Hsu was suspended after it referred the case to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau for investigation.
Hsu is currently out on bail of $10,000 and is expected to be back in court on Oct 11. Tan is also out on $10,000 bail and is expected to be back in court on Sept 20.
Those convicted of wrongful communication of information under the Official Secrets Act may be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $2,000.
