Several former senior employees of Singapore’s property giant CapitaLand have been implicated in a bribery scandal linked to one of the company’s projects in India, according to reports. The allegations surfaced in a civil suit filed in Singapore, which named a former director of a local construction firm overseeing investments in India. While CapitaLand itself is not a party to the lawsuit, its name has appeared repeatedly in court documents , Bloomberg reported.
The claims centre on payments made by an India-based contractor working on the International Tech Park Pune, Kharadi — a 6.7-hectare IT hub developed under CapitaLand’s Ascendas India Growth Programme. The project, supported by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC, officially began operations in 2023. Sources allege that CapitaLand’s former staff in India accepted improper payments from L&W Construction Pvt, a long-time contractor for CapitaLand’s developments in the country.
CapitaLand confirmed it was made aware of the matter in 2023 and had immediately conducted internal investigations before reporting it to police authorities. The group stressed that the implicated individuals were no longer employed by the company, reiterating its “zero-tolerance policy” against unethical practices.
Civil Suit Highlights Alleged Corrupt Deals
The allegations came to light through a lawsuit filed by Singapore construction firm Lee Kim Tah Pte against its former director, Edmund Cheah. Cheah, who also held a directorship at L&W Construction, is accused of breaching his fiduciary duties by approving questionable transactions, including the alleged bribes to CapitaLand employees.
Court documents revealed that Lee Kim Tah is seeking to recover more than S$2.1 million from Cheah. While the exact sum of the bribes is unclear, one former CapitaLand employee was reportedly demanding further kickbacks even after receiving payments of up to 9 million rupees (about S$133,000).
Cheah has denied any wrongdoing and is contesting the claims. Meanwhile, police records from Pune show that multiple L&W staff members were arrested in 2023 for misappropriation of funds, including a project director involved in the Pune development.
Payments Traced Back to 2019
Bloomberg reported that the suspicious transactions stretch back as far as 2019. The payments were allegedly tied to work certifications and fast-tracked billing approvals. There are also claims that an L&W executive bribed not only CapitaLand employees but also Indian government officials.
CapitaLand maintains that it has cooperated fully with investigations and reinforced its corporate governance framework. The property giant, which is part of Temasek Holdings’ portfolio, stated it remains committed to upholding ethical standards in all its markets.
The outcome of the ongoing civil case will determine whether compensation is awarded, but the revelations have already raised concerns about compliance risks in overseas real estate ventures by major Singapore firms.