S$2.3m China bribery case: Ex-Seagate director and sister get longer jail terms after appeals
Teo Chu Ha Henry and his sister Teo Suya Bik Judy were jailed on Jan 11, 2020, for conspiring to share confidential business information with companies in China to secure contracts. (Photo: TODAY/Nuria Ling)
SINGAPORE: A former senior director of data storage company Seagate and his sister had their jail terms for a S$2.3 million (US$1.7 million) bribery case increased on Tuesday (May 9) after appeals by both sides.
Henry Teo Chu Ha, 74, had his 50-month jail term increased to 84 months, or seven years.
His sister, Judy Teo Suya Bik, 70, will now have to serve 56 months' jail instead of the original 41 months. She also has to pay a penalty of about S$2.3 million for receiving the bribes.
Henry Teo had leaked confidential information to his sister, who helped two Chinese companies secure tenders with Seagate.
In return, Judy Teo received bribes of 11 million yuan (US$1.6 million). A portion of the money was later transferred to her brother, who used S$700,000 to buy a condominium unit near Upper Bukit Timah Road in her name.
The siblings appealed, saying their sentences were manifestly excessive. In contrast, the prosecution said the lower court judge had imposed inadequate jail terms.
In his verdict on Tuesday, Justice Vincent Hoong dismissed the siblings' appeals against their conviction and sentences.
He allowed part of the prosecution's appeal and increased the sentences the siblings received – by 34 months for Henry Teo and 15 months for Judy Teo.
He agreed with the prosecution that there should be a slight upward calibration for Henry Teo to account for his past convictions. He was convicted in 2012 for similar offences committed between 2004 and 2010 while he was at Seagate.
However, Justice Hoong agreed that some mitigating weight should be attributed to the delay in proceedings. This delay, while not the prosecution's fault, resulted in some prejudice to Henry Teo, who had to live with the uncertainty of the outcome of investigations for a substantial amount of time.
Justice Hoong allowed the siblings to begin their jail terms in June, as they have affairs to attend to including a religious ceremony on Vesak Day.
