Company director, 67, bribes DSO staff over S$46 million project, gets jail

A company director was sentenced to 10 months and two weeks’ jail for his role in a corruption case involving a DSO National Laboratories staff member.

Jason Chua Aik Leng, 67, was sentenced on Oct. 16, The Straits Times reported.

He was the senior executive director and shareholder of Wah Loon Engineering (WLE), and had pleaded guilty to one charge of abetting the corrupt giving of gratification.

Chua was among five people charged in March 2026 in connection with alleged corruption involving DSO projects, according to Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

DSO National Laboratories is Singapore’s largest defence research and development organisation.

It was formerly known as the Defence Science Organisation, but was renamed after being incorporated as a nonprofit under the Ministry of Defence in 1997.

Agreed to give DSO staff member ‘token of appreciation’

According to court documents cited by ST, the case involved a DSO building project in 2018.

Poh Beng San, an assistant manager with DSO’s facilities management team, allegedly told subcontractor Alex Lee Yew Huat that DSO was seeking contractors for works at one of its buildings.

Lee worked as a supervisor at fire protection company Fire-Mech at the time.

Poh allegedly asked for a token of appreciation if the contractor secured the project.

Lee later approached Chua and said he had information from a DSO contact who could help WLE secure the project.

The arrangement involved WLE sub-contracting the fire protection works to Fire-Mech, while about one per cent of the contract price would go to the DSO staff member as a "token of appreciation".

Chua agreed to the arrangement.

At least S$150,000 in gratification

In January 2018, DSO invited four contractors to submit tenders for the building works, three of which had WLE as a sub-contractor.

One of the three was awarded the contract in September 2018.

The overall project was worth more than S$46 million, while the mechanical and engineering sub-contract was valued at S$31.7 million.

CPIB said Chua and Lee allegedly conspired on at least two occasions between around October 2018 and February 2019 to give Poh at least S$150,000 in gratification to advance WLE’s business interests with DSO.

CPIB received information

CPIB began investigating after receiving information in February 2023 that Poh had allegedly accepted gratification from contractors.

Chua was subsequently questioned and admitted to his role, The Straits Times reported.

Poh and Lee’s cases are ongoing.

According to CPIB, Poh received gratifications from six individuals, including at least S$230,000 in cash, a Xiaomi 13 Pro phone, a Lenovo Xiaoxin Pad Pro tablet, and a repair of his home door valued at around S$100.

He also allegedly tried to launder the corruptly-obtained funds.

Asked to defer sentence until February 2027

Chua asked the court to defer his sentence until February 2027.

He wanted to celebrate his mother’s 100th birthday in November, take a family holiday and celebrate the Lunar New Year.

District Judge Paul Chan allowed the request in part.

He found that the planned holiday and Lunar New Year celebrations did not justify a longer deferment.

He did accept the birthday, saying that turning 100 was a significant milestone that would not come around again.

Chua remains out on S$100,000 bail and is due to start serving his sentence on Nov. 23.