Former SMRT employee and two others charged in corruption cases involving over $54,000
SINGAPORE – While working as an assistant buyer for SMRT, a 43-year-old man allegedly took bribes of more than $54,000.
Soh Choon Heng was one of three individuals charged with corruption on Friday (Aug 20).
The other two, from whom Soh is said to have taken bribes, are Yong Ming Jun, 39, and Wong King Mooi, 47.
Soh and Yong are Singaporeans and Wong is a Malaysian.
Yong was the director of Euro Bremse, a company selling and supplying motor vehicle spare parts and accessories, at the time of the alleged offences.
Wong was then the director of CEE Technologies, a company dealing with electrical works.
Soh, now described as a former SMRT employee, is said to have got at least $24,450 in bribes from Yong between 2016 and last year.
He is also accused of receiving at least $28,700 in bribes from Wong between 2017 and 2019.
The bribes from both Yong and Wong were allegedly given to Soh as a reward for providing them with information on quotations made to SMRT by other vendors.
Soh allegedly received at least $900 in bribes from another individual, Lee Won Jong, in 2015 for a similar act.
Court documents state that Lee was the director of Alturan at that time. An online search shows the company is in the “wholesale trade of a variety of goods without a dominant product”.
It was not stated in court records if Lee has been charged over his alleged involvement.
Soh faces nine counts of corruption, Yong faces five, and Wong three.
Soh is also charged with four counts of forgery. He is said to have fraudulently appended the signature of an SMRT procurement manager on two documents in November 2017.
In addition, he is accused of doing so for the signature of SMRT’s director of procurement on two other documents in December 2017 and in May 2018.
Soh’s case will be heard again on Sept 8.
The cases of Yong and Wong are scheduled to be heard again on Sept 16.
Anyone guilty of corruption can be jailed up to five years, or fined up to $100,000, or both.
Those convicted of forgery can be jailed up to four years, or fined, or both.