In a startling turn of events, a senior employee with the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the director of a prominent construction company find themselves facing charges of corruption, according to a report by The Straits Times.
The Accused and Their Roles
- Tan Siam Chua: Senior Estate Manager at HDB
At the heart of this scandal is Tan Siam Chua, a 60-year-old senior estate manager who was associated with HDB at the time of the alleged offenses. Tan faces one charge of abetting corrupt transactions with agents. - Liong Ah Chye: Director of Liong Construction
On the other side of the legal battle stands Liong Ah Chye, a 61-year-old director of Liong Construction. He has been charged with one count of corrupt transactions with agents.
The Alleged Offenses
The crux of the matter lies in the events that transpired on September 16, 2021. Liong, acting through one of his employees, purportedly provided a false quotation from his company to an HDB senior estate manager identified in charge sheets as Lau Chee Wee. It is alleged that Liong was well aware that this false quotation was intended to mislead HDB.
The Role of Instigation
A significant twist in this legal saga involves Tan Siam Chua allegedly instigating Liong to engage in these deceptive actions. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) emphasized this aspect in a statement.
Legal Proceedings and Statements
On the day when these grave charges were presented in court, Tan expressed his intention to contest the charge. Notably, he chose not to engage a lawyer and stated, “Those things that I have done (are) in accordance with HDB’s practice.” The judge refrained from allowing further elaboration and scheduled a pre-trial conference for October 26.
Liong, too, declared his intention to contest the charge through his lawyer, Tang Shangwei of WongPartnership. Mr. Tang cited Liong’s need to travel to China to visit suppliers, prompting the judge to instruct the lawyer to file an application for Liong to leave Singapore. Liong’s case is also slated for a pre-trial conference on October 26.
Bail and Potential Penalties
Both Tan and Liong have been released on $10,000 bail each. However, the gravity of their situation cannot be understated. If found guilty, they could face fines of up to $100,000 or a jail term of up to five years, or possibly both.
In response to this troubling situation, an HDB spokesman asserted, “HDB expects all officers to maintain high standards of integrity and incorruptibility, and their actions must not bring HDB into disrepute.”