3 ex-directors linked to Fullerton Healthcare brand charged with corruption along with former Aon Singapore CEO

SINGAPORE: Three former directors linked to the Fullerton Healthcare brand were charged in court on Thursday (Feb 8) with offences of corruption and falsifying accounts.

Their alleged offences revolve around giving bribes to a fourth man – former Aon Risk Solutions chief executive officer Collin Chiew, who was also charged with corruption for taking bribes from the three ex-directors and money laundering.

The former directors linked to Fullerton Healthcare accused in the case are: Daniel Chan Pai Sheng, 50, Michael Tan Kim Song, 50, and David Sin, 44.

Chan formerly held the following roles: Director of the Fullerton Healthcare Group, director of Fullerton Health and president of Fullerton Health China.

Tan is also a former Fullerton Healthcare Group director, while Sin is the former president and chairman of the board of the Fullerton Healthcare Corporation.

Chiew was represented by Mr Andy Yeo from Eldan Law.

Sin was defended by Mr Tang Shangwei from Wong Partnership. Mr Tang said his client intends to contest the charges.

Tan was defended by Mr Derek Kang from Cairnhill Law, who asked for time to take full instructions.

The fresh chargings come after CNA reported in December that Chiew was charged with taking S$240,000 (US$179,000) in bribes from the Fullerton Healthcare Group through Straits Priority Consulting.

In the new charges, Chiew allegedly obtained S$348,000 in bribes from Chan as CEO of Aon Singapore over multiple occasions between 2015 and 2018. This was to advance the business interests of the Fullerton Healthcare Group with Aon Singapore, a firm providing professional services which include insurance broking solutions.

While he was director of AIA Hong Kong in 2019, Chiew allegedly obtained S$320,000 in bribes from Chan over four occasions to advance the Fullerton Healthcare Group's business interests with AIA Hong Kong.

Chan is accused of falsifying entertainment claims from 2016 to 2019 to defraud the Fullerton Healthcare Corporation and Fullerton Health China into paying him about S$440,666 for entertainment expenses when the true sum was about S$169,719.

Chan then allegedly used the claimed amount to pay bribes to Chiew. Tan and Sin face charges of conspiring with Chan in these offences.

Chiew is also accused of using S$115,000 from a sum of S$160,000 in criminal proceeds to purchase a landed property at Bedok Terrace under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.

When Chiew was first charged in December, a spokesperson for Fullerton Health told CNA that the incident was raised to its management by a whistleblower.

"Fullerton Health and the board then commissioned independent investigations by two external professional parties and also took strong action to report it to the relevant authorities. At all times, we fully cooperated with the authorities and regulators," said the spokesperson.

"The individuals in respect of the allegations are no longer with Fullerton Health. Fullerton Health also has no dealings with Straits Priority Consulting."

An Aon spokesperson also told CNA in December that Chiew had "departed" from the firm in January 2019.