Singapore — A former director from the LTA pleaded guilty to seven charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Thursday (Aug 26) in what the prosecutor called “the most significant case of public sector corruption that has been prosecuted in recent times”.
Henry Foo Yung Thye worked for the Land Transport Authority for over two decades and had been a deputy group director with the agency.
He admitted in court that he received $1.2 million in bribes from 2016 to 2018 in loans from contractors and subcontractors.
Foo’s lawyer said in mitigation that his client was diagnosed with gambling disorder, later found to be causally linked to his offences by a private psychiatrist.
“Most significant case of public sector corruption”
In 1999, Foo started working at the LTA and rose in the ranks, having served as director for the Thomson-East Coast Line Civil Team 3 and deputy group director of Thomson-East Coast (TEL) and Cross Island lines (Civil).
As part of his work for the agency, he oversaw the construction of MRT stations and tunnels and assessed personnel for LTA’s contracts and subcontracts under the TEL and Cross Island Lines.
Additionally, he chaired the tender evaluation committee, and it was in this position that he “actively and quite persistently” solicited fees from a number of people from 2014 until 2019, Yahoo Singapore reports, in exchange for supporting certain firms and providing privileged information about the LTA.
However, by Oct 2018, a complaint had been filed anonymously at the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) alleging that Foo had solicited loans from subcontractors that had LTA projects. Moreover, Foo had asked the director of China Railway Tunnel Group for financial help to pay his own debts.
The former director resigned the following Sept.
From the $1.2 million he collected in bribes, he has paid back $83,750, and he still owes $1,156,250. This means that he must pay a penalty of $1,156,250, according to the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The total amount of contracts involved in his bribery cases amounts to $815 million.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Victoria Ting, Foo’s case is “the most significant case of public sector corruption that has been prosecuted in recent times”.
The prosecution has asked for a jail term of six years and three months, citing the amount involved in Foo’s case as well as the position of trust he had abused.
“Most, if not all (givers), initially turned him down and it was only on repeated requests that they eventually agreed to extension of loans,” she added.
Mr Lim Ker Sheon, the lawyer representing the former LTA director pro bono, is asking for only 46 months of jail for his client.
He cited Foo’s diagnosis of a pathological gambling disorder and added that his client had “little ability” in influencing tender outcomes, because of the LTA’s system of checks and balances.
Mr Lim also said that his client has cooperated extensively with the authorities and has saved them time and resources and that he had planned to plead guilty from the beginning.
He returns to court on Sept 2, with another 29 charges consisting of graft and cheating to be taken into consideration for his sentencing for sentencing.
The offence of corruption carries a maximum hail time of five years and a maximum fine of $100,000, or both. As for corruption in relation to the government or public body, jail time may be increased to seven years. /TISG
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