A former deputy group director with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) was charged on July 24 with taking around S$1.24 million in bribes, racking up 36 charges in total.

Accused of bribery, cheating LTA colleagues

Henry Foo Yung Thye, 46, had taken the bribes in the form of loans to advance contractors or subcontractors' business interests with the LTA.

Of the 36 charges, 22 are for taking bribes in the form of loans from the contractors or subcontractors between 2014 and 2019, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a press release on July 24.

Foo is also accused of corruptly attempting to obtain gratification in the form of a loan of about S$30,000 from a subcontractor of the LTA to advance the sub-contractor’s business interest with LTA.

He is also charged with 13 counts of cheating his former colleagues in LTA into lending him money, which totalled to roughly S$726,500 between 2008 and 2019.

According to CPIB, Foo had "dishonestly concealed" from them that the loans were intended to service his gambling habit and debts.

The charges were read in court today (July 24).

Six individuals & one company facing corruption charges

Six other individuals and one company have also been charged correspondingly in relation to Foo.

Two Singaporeans, Pay Teow Heng, 52, and Pek Lian Guan, 55, from Tiong Seng Contractors (Private) Limited, had allegedly conspired to give bribes to Foo, totalling about S$350,000, as inducement to advance the business interest of their company with LTA.

Pay was the director while Pek was the managing director of Tiong Seng Contractors. Both face two charges of corruption each.

Two South Korean nationals, Ro Sungyoung, 48, and Kim Young-Gyu, 51, both from Daewoo Engineering & Construction Co. Ltd, allegedly conspired to give bribes to Foo, totalling approximately S$50,000, as inducement to advance the business interest of their company with LTA.

Ro was the project manager while Kim was the project director of Daewoo at the time of the offence. Both men also face two charges of corruption each.

Cai Jungang, a 56-year-old Chinese national, the director of Tritech Engineering & Testing (Singapore) Pte Ltd at the time of the offence, faces seven charges of corruption for allegedly giving bribes to Foo totalling to approximately S$285,000, as inducement to advance Tritech's business interest with LTA.

Zhang Xihu, a 52-year-old Chinese national, the director of MEPT Engineering Pte Ltd at the time of the offence, faces seven charges of corruption for allegedly giving bribes to Foo totalling to approximately S$325,000, as inducement to advance Tritech's business interest with LTA.

The China Railway Tunnel Group Co. Ltd (CRTG) was accused of giving bribes to Foo, totalling to approximately S$220,000, facing three charges of corruption.

In relation to the offences related to CRTG, Chen Xuguang, a 53-year-old Singaporean, has also been charged with forgery.

Chen, who was the director of Tong Sheng Construction & Trading Pte Ltd, a subcontractor of CRTG, was charged with abetting the falsification of Tong Sheng invoices.

Anyone convicted of corruption can be fined up to S$100,000, jailed for up to five years or both.

The maximum imprisonment term for each offence of corruption can be increased to seven years if it is in relation to a matter or contract with the Government or a public body, or a subcontract to execute work comprised in such a contract.

Anyone convicted of cheating or falsification of accounts can be fined and imprisoned for up to 10 years.

Top image via Bachy Soletanche Singapore/FB