3 ex-ST Marine senior execs face additional charges in court

THREE former Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) senior executives have been slapped with additional charges in court on Wednesday, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a media release.

Former ST Marine senior vice-president Mok Kim Whang, 65, was first charged in December 2014 for one count of engaging in a conspiracy to corruptly give gratification, amounting to S$43,721, to Pyo Sei Jin, an agent of Hyundai Engineering and Construction Ltd. This morning, he was slapped with 826 counts related to making fake entertainment claims, amounting to more than S$3 million.

Former ST Marine president of commercial business Tan Mong Seng, 64, who was also charged with corrupt transactions with the same agent, was further charged with 445 counts of engaging in a conspiracy to make false entries in ST Marine Petty Cash Vouchers for entertainment expenses amounting to more than S$1.64 million, when no such entertainment expenses were incurred.

Former ST Marine chief operating officer Han Yew Kwang, 58, initially charged in July 2015 for eight counts of engaging in a conspiracy to corruptly give gratification, amounting to S$790,772, to agents of ST Marine's customers, faced a further 473 counts for false entertainment claims amounting to S$1.86 million.

CPIB said that Singapore adopts a zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and the bureau "takes a serious view of any corrupt practices and will not hesitate to take action against any party involved in such acts".

A pre-trial conference has been fixed for Jan 20, 2016.