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SINGAPORE – A Chevron Singapore health, environment and safety specialist accepted $ 6,000 in bribes from a subcontractor in exchange for leniency in supervising his work at the company’s lubricating oil blending plant.
Cheow Hock Mun, 49, a permanent resident, pleaded guilty on Friday (October 9) to two counts of corruption. Another corruption charge will be taken into consideration during sentencing next month.
Assistant District Attorney (DPP) Eric Hu said Cheow had accepted the money from Lim Gim Chuan, managing director of LGC Engineering and Contractors, between April and July 2015.
Cheow was in charge of all safety matters at Chevron’s Jalan Buroh plant, and oversaw the permitting and training of workers at the plant.
There were times when he failed to approve permits for workers and did various on-site security checks, “many of which were not mandatory or mandatory,” DPP Hu said, adding that Cheow had also refused to conduct training for some workers.
The court heard that Cheow had also been off work for two to three hours and ordered the materials to be moved to a warehouse, despite the fact that these could be blocked and placed near an excavation site.
“Lim knew that Cheow was the overall safety officer at the lube oil blending plant and that he had the authority to make things difficult by not approving permits for his workers or by finding flaws in safety,” he said. DPP Hu, adding that this would eventually cause delays and financial losses for Lim’s company.
Sometime in April 2015, Lim asked to meet Cheow at the oil plant’s canteen, where he offered Cheow $ 2,000 and asked him to “help out” in Hokkien, DPP Hu said.
Cheow understood that Lim had wanted him to ensure a “smooth running” of his company’s jobs at the oil plant and agreed.
They went to the bathroom next to the canteen, where Lim passed Cheow $ 2,000.
Lim gave Cheow money two more times, each time passing him $ 2,000.
Cheow subsequently approved the permits and construction commencement by Lim’s company without being difficult. It also helped expedite document approval for Lim’s company and conducted additional training for its workers.
“At all times, Cheow knew it was wrong to take bribes from the subcontractor. He knew they would fire him from his company immediately if they found out,” DPP Hu said.
Cheow will return to court next month for his sentencing. Lim was jailed for 10 weeks in June for his involvement in corruption.
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