Landscape boss charged

[Sun Jian]

Jun 10, 2010
Landscape boss charged

<!-- by line --> By Elena Chong

THE boss of a landscape company was charged in court on Thursday with four counts of corruption involving a total $34,000. Tan Kok Keong, 39, managing director of Kok Keong Landscape (KKL), allegedly gave bribes amounting to $4,000 to Ms Victorine Noella Wijeysingha, a landscape resident technical officer, between November 2008 and March last year to be lenient in her supervision of work done and to help the company avoid any delay in completing its work. KKL was the landscape subcontractor of the Orchard Road mall enhancement works project initiated by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Ms Wijeysingha was the officer acting for STB in the mall project. Tan is also accused of corruptly offering $30,000 to her in February last year to advance his company's business interest by recommending to one Sumina of SCDA Architect to award Nassim Park's landscape works contract to KKL. His case was adjourned for a week for him to get a lawyer. If convicted, he faces a fine of up to $100,000 and/or a jail term of up to five years on each charge.

 

[Sun Jian]

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[chobolan]

Fined $55k for bribery


Dec 9, 2010

KOK KEONG LANDSCAPE
Fined $55k for bribery

By Khushwant Singh

The accused Mr Tan Kok Keong is the Managing Director of Kok Keong Landscape Pte Ltd (KKL) a company doing landscaping works. -- ST PHOTO: LAU FOOK KONG

THE boss of a landscape company was fined $55,000 by a district court on Thursday for bribing a landscape resident technical officer to go easy on her inspections and to get him more work.

Tan Kok Keong, 39, managing director of Kok Keong Landscape (KKL), pleaded guilty to giving $1,500 to Ms Victorine Noella Wijeysingha in November 2008. He also admitted to promising her $30,000 in March 2009, for her to recommend his company for work at the Nassim Park condominium.

Two other charges of giving her $1,000 in January and $1,500 in March 2009 were taken into consideration for sentencing. The court heard that at that time KKL was the landscape subcontractor of the Orchard Road mall enhancement works project initiated by the Singapore Tourism Board.

Ms Wijeysingha - the sole proprietor of Vicki Artlett Designs - was appointed resident technical officer by one of the contractors, Arborculture. Her duties included ensuring that the work carried out by KKL were in compliance with the project's specifications.

According to court documents, she allegedly asked Tan in October 2008 to 'cover her' for helping him. Realising it was a request for a bribe, he started paying her off from the following month.

The next year in 2009, she offered to recommend his firm for future work but for a fee. By then, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau were onto them. Ms Wijeysingha has not been dealt with yet.

 

[chobolan]

MD fined S$55,000 for corruption offences


MD fined S$55,000 for corruption offences
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 09 December 2010 1734 hrs
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SINGAPORE: A 40-year-old managing director of a landscaping company involved in the Orchard Road Mall enhancement works project was fined S$55,000 for corruption.

Tan Kok Keong from Kok Keong Landscape gave a bribe of S$1,500 to an arborist, Victorine Noella Vijeysingha, in November 2008.

He handed over the money so that Ms Vijeysingha, who was the project's resident technical officer, would be lenient when supervising work done by his company.

The pair was at Orchard Road in October that year when Ms Vijeysingha hinted that she wanted him to bribe her.

Tan agreed as the work completed by his company would have to first pass her scrutiny before the National Parks Board conducted its inspections.

He then told Ms Vijeysingha that he could give her S$1,500.

Tan did not want delays as they could lead to additional costs for his firm.

Tan had also promised to give Ms Vijeysingha a bribe of S$30,000 in March last year.

This, after she had told him that she could help him try to win a contract for a separate project at Nassim Park condominium.

Court documents stated that Ms Vijeysingha told Tan that she could recommend him to the firm in charge of the project, SCDA Architects.

She had originally wanted a 10 per cent commission from the total value of the million-dollar landscaping job.

But Tan later promised to give her S$30,000 instead - which was about three per cent of the total value.

The court heard that, in the end, no agreement was reached between the two.

Ms Vijeysingha hasn't been charged in court over her role in the offences.

Those convicted of corruption can be jailed up to five years and fined up to S$100,000 for each charge.

- CNA/fa