Additional details that shed light on new People's Action Party (PAP) candidate Ivan Lim's professional career before he decided to run for politics have since emerged since the flurry of events that unfolded on Saturday, June 27.

Denied involvement in any Brazilian projects

Following PAP's first assistant secretary-general Heng Swee Keat's remarks that Lim should clarify the accusations made against him, he released a statement addressing the social media controversy he found himself mired in after being introduced as a new candidate on Wednesday, June 24.

In his statement, he denied the allegation that he was involved in the bribery case in Brazil, saying the claim is "completely baseless and untrue".

Lim was likely referring to the international corruption scandal that Keppel O&M was involved in from 2001 to 2014.

He also denied involvement in Brazilian projects, saying "I was not involved in any of the Brazilian projects."

Managed a Brazilian project when he was just 29

But Lim's recent statement appears to contradict with one he made back in 2018.

In the fourth issue of a Keppel Group Newsletter released in 2018, Lim, who is a general manager at Keppel Offshore and Marine (O&M), was featured alongside three other employees under the segment "Voices of Keppelites".

Giving his personal account of the opportunities he was afforded by the company, Lim said he was the project manager for the Espirito Santo Floating Production Storage and Offloading (FPSO) project back in 2007 when he was just 29 years old.

He also mentioned that he had presented the project execution plan at a "big kick off meeting" for the project.

That seeming contradiction was noted by some online.

Did not take part in the bribery scandal

But given the context, perhaps what Lim was trying to clarify in his statement was that he did not participate in any of the Brazilian projects that were involved in the corruption scandal.

According to a news release by Keppel Corporation in 2008, the Espirito Santo FPSO was set to be leased to a joint venture that is operated by Shell with ONGC Campos Ltda. and Petrobras as co-venturers.

While Petrobras, Brazil's largest state-owned oil company, was involved in the corruption scandal as it accepted bribes from Keppel O&M, the FPSO itself is operated by a joint venture between SBM Offshore and MISC.

Mothership has reached out to the PAP for comments on the matter.

Top image adapted via PAP & Keppel Group Newsletter