Two men jailed for corruption involving SP PowerGrid gas mains tender

SINGAPORE: Two men have been sentenced to six weeks' jail after they were convicted of corruption involving a SP PowerGrid (SPPG) gas mains tender

Quek Han Leng Mervyn, 36, who was a senior engineer at SPPG at the time, was jailed for receiving a S$20,000 bribe, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on Thursday (Apr 14).

Ong Wei Jian, who gave the bribe, had earlier been jailed on Jan 5. The 35-year-old was a director of One West Engineering at the time.

CPIB investigations found that sometime between January and February 2018, Quek had notified Ong about an upcoming SPPG Tender on Supply and Laying of Gas Mains and Services through a WhatsApp message.

Quek then shared confidential gas plans which contained information such as gas pipe routings, locations and pipe sizes with Ong before the official opening of the said tender. 

"Hence, Ong stood to gain a competitive advantage in the said tender submission. In return, Quek obtained gratification of S$20,000 from Ong on Apr 4, 2018," said CPIB. 

For their actions, both Singaporean men were charged under the Prevention of Corruption Act on Apr 30 last year. 

"Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to S$100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years or to both," said CPIB.

The bureau also advised companies to put in place "robust procedures" in areas such as procurement and internal audit to prevent falling victim to corrupt acts by their employees.

Guidance for companies on measures to prevent corruption can be found on CPIB’s website. 

Companies are also strongly encouraged to obtain certification designed to help companies implement or enhance an anti-bribery management system to reduce corporate risk and costs related to bribery.