Waste disposal driver paid S$44,700 in bribes to dump waste at Sengkang construction site

SINGAPORE: A driver working at a waste disposal company paid more than S$44,000 in bribes to the supervisor of a construction site in Sengkang, in order to dump waste at the work site.

Low Kong Yew, 34, was sentenced to 24 weeks' jail on Tuesday (Dec 13). He had claimed trial to his charges, but was found guilty of 15 charges under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Low was a driver for Seaview Transport Management, a waste disposal company involved in the dumping of hardcore waste - a type of waste generated from the demolition of buildings. Hardcore waste can be used to pave temporary access roads in construction sites.

He was acquainted with co-accused Jeffrey Chin Jen Len, 53, who was a site supervisor with Koon Construction & Transport. Chin was in charge of a construction site at Sengkang West.

Between August and December 2017, Low paid a total of S$44,700 to Chin so that Low could arrange for vehicles to dump hardcore waste at the Sengkang West worksite.

The court heard at trial that Chin's company had a policy of not accepting payment for hardcore waste.

HOW HE BENEFITED

According to the prosecution, Low benefited from this arrangement in three ways.

First, he received a payment per load from his employer over and above his salary. If he had driven the load back to his employer instead of dumping it at the worksite, he would not have received this extra payment.

Second, the corrupt arrangement with Chin saved Low time. If he did not dump the waste at the Sengkang West worksite, he would have to spend time transporting it back to Seaview and search for alternate sites to dump the load before travelling there.

Third, he built goodwill with the drivers he helped by arranging with Chin to allow them to dump hardcore waste at the worksite.

Low admitted that he did so because he wanted the drivers to share their contacts for potential dumping sites with him in the future.

The defence's case was that it was necessary for Low to pay to dump the hardcore waste, and that the payments were meant for Chin's company instead of Chin personally.

However, the prosecution countered this by citing Low's own account. He said that some worksites allowed companies like Seaview to dump hardcore waste into the worksite at no charge.

Others in charge of other worksites charge a fee for hardcore waste to be dumped there. Worksites that do not charge a fee are looking for better quality hardcore waste made of pure cement, said Low. 

According to him, this is hard to come by from renovation contractors. Hardcore waste that comes from renovation contractors are generally a mixture of bricks, marble and stones. Only worksites that charge a fee will accept the lower quality hardcore waste, Low said.

The prosecutor said this refutes Low's claim that it was necessary to pay to dump the waste.

The prosecution asked for at least 24 weeks' jail for Low, saying he was motivated by greed and had initiated the corrupt scheme by seeking Chin out.

"In fact, even after (Chin) had turned down the accused's offer to supply hardcore (waste), the accused persisted in repeating his offer to (Chin), who eventually accepted it," said the prosecutor.

The judge granted Low's request to defer his sentence to January.