Ministerial statement: Teo Chee Hean on review of rentals of state properties at 26 and 31 Ridout Road
Public Service officers who have access to privileged information or who can influence decisions will have to make a declaration of no conflict of interest before they can rent Government properties managed by their agencies. The Prime Minister will also review the declarations required for property transactions for ministers and PAP MPs. This is despite the fact that investigations into the rental of two state bungalows by Cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan uncovered no corruption or wrongdoing. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said this in Parliament on Monday (Jul 3) when he delivered a ministerial statement responding to 23 questions filed by Members of the House on the matter. Mr Teo stressed the “import” of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tasking the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) to look into the case. Saying “there is no more thorough, persistent and fearsome investigative body in Singapore”, Mr Teo explained CPIB’s processes and why its findings are independent and authoritative. He also noted that the agency reports directly to the Prime Minister and the CPIB Director can go straight to the President if the Prime Minister stops him from investigating a possible crime. Mr Teo said that for his own review, he relied on CPIB’s report and also asked the Ministry of Law for a detailed briefing on the management of black-and-white bungalows. He summarised the key facts of the case which had previously been revealed and reiterated the three key conclusions of the review. First, CPIB found no evidence of unfair advantage or criminal wrongdoing in the rentals by the two ministers. Second, the ministers and public officers, as well as private-sector intermediaries, conducted themselves properly in the transactions. Third, the rentals did not deviate from Singapore Land Authority guidelines. Mr Teo said the episode itself, and the extensive questions posed by Members from both sides of the House, reflect the importance Singapore places on the integrity and quality of its system of Government.
Public Service officers who have access to privileged information or who can influence decisions will have to make a declaration of no conflict of interest before they can rent Government properties managed by their agencies. The Prime Minister will also review the declarations required for property transactions for ministers and PAP MPs. This is despite the fact that investigations into the rental of two state bungalows by Cabinet ministers K Shanmugam and Vivian Balakrishnan uncovered no corruption or wrongdoing. Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean said this in Parliament on Monday (Jul 3) when he delivered a ministerial statement responding to 23 questions filed by Members of the House on the matter. Mr Teo stressed the “import” of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong tasking the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) to look into the case. Saying “there is no more thorough, persistent and fearsome investigative body in Singapore”, Mr Teo explained CPIB’s processes and why its findings are independent and authoritative. He also noted that the agency reports directly to the Prime Minister and the CPIB Director can go straight to the President if the Prime Minister stops him from investigating a possible crime. Mr Teo said that for his own review, he relied on CPIB’s report and also asked the Ministry of Law for a detailed briefing on the management of black-and-white bungalows. He summarised the key facts of the case which had previously been revealed and reiterated the three key conclusions of the review. First, CPIB found no evidence of unfair advantage or criminal wrongdoing in the rentals by the two ministers. Second, the ministers and public officers, as well as private-sector intermediaries, conducted themselves properly in the transactions. Third, the rentals did not deviate from Singapore Land Authority guidelines. Mr Teo said the episode itself, and the extensive questions posed by Members from both sides of the House, reflect the importance Singapore places on the integrity and quality of its system of Government.
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