Former SingPost VP on trial for alleged bribes and fabrication of job experience

A former senior vice-president at Singapore Post, Liang An Wey, went on trial this week for cheating the company into paying him a salary of S$8,000 as well as for attempting to seek a bribe of SG$1 million. Liang is contesting the cheating charges as well as the charge of attempting to get a bribe from the chief operating officer of a subcontractor for SingPost, said a report on Channel News Asia.

According to documents containing facts agreed on by both the prosecution and the defense, a recruiter submitted Liang’s curriculum vitae (CV) to SingPost in June 2013 for the position of vice president or project execution. In Liang’s CV, he claimed he had been employed as the head of project management at GSM Holdings since August 2012. He also claimed that he held a salary of SG$12,500, and that he had SG$2,000 in fixed transport allowance. SingPost then conducted an interview with Liang and gave him a form to complete if he wanted to accept the job.

In this form, Liang accepted the job offer and confirmed his role as director at GSM with a salary of SG$12,500 and an additional SG$2,000 in transport allowance.

However, the issue was that Liang was never formally employed by GSM and had not been a director there. Rather, he had actually assisted a friend, Tan Yew Seng, who was a director and shareholder at GSM, according to The Straits Times.  Liang helped Tan on an ad hoc basis with a factory that GSM was building in Senoko Loop as Tan was not familiar with building permits.

While Tan verbally offered to pay Liang, there was never an agreement formalised, contract of employment, salary or Central Provident Fund contributions provided to Liang.

Currently, Liang is accused of cheating SingPost into giving him a salary of SG$8,000 between June and July 2013 after providing them with false information regarding his employment history and remuneration.

The corruption charge also states that Liang tried to solicit a bribe of SG$1 million from the chief operating officer of Bintai Kindenko, Wong Siaw Fun sometime between March and June 2015 when the pair allegedly met at a coffee shop near Liang’s home. In exchange, Liang would recommend Bintai as his preferred subcontractor for air conditioning, mechanical ventilation, electrical installation and security works for construction work at the SingPost Centre in Eunos Road, according to the charge sheet.

The bribe was ultimately not paid or received and the contract for the SingPost Centre project was later awarded to Shimizu. Liang was dismissed by SingPost in April 2018.

If Liang is convicted of corruption, he could be jailed for up to five years, fined up to SG$100,000, or both. He could also be jailed up to 10 years and fined if he is convicted of cheating.

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