A married IT executive is believed to have had sex with two top-ranking public officers being investigated under the Prevention of Corruption Act.
The 36-year-old woman is assisting the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in the cases involving the former chiefs of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), Mr Peter Lim Sin Pang and Mr Ng Boon Gay.
Sources told The Straits Times that the two men had been unaware that she had been intimate with both of them. Both officers are married. In Mr Ng's case, he had known the woman for over three years and they are believed to have been close since early 2009.
She is said to be an employee of an American multinational software company which she joined about six months ago. She was previously a sales director at a Japanese multinational company and it is understood the probe is related to her time at this firm, which provides IT storage solutions for businesses and organisations.
The woman, whose husband is a businessman, is believed to have left her previous job about the time the CPIB investigations began.
In the investigations concerning Mr Ng, it is believed that he signed two IT-related procurement contracts through the normal processes of multiple levels of checks and the normal basis for awarding such tenders: the lowest quote available.
The woman's previous firm was a subcontractor to two other companies which were awarded these contracts and it is believed the name of the Japanese subcontractor would not have been stated in the tender documents when Mr Ng approved them.
It is believed that the amounts involved in the two contracts totalled around $350,000.
The case surrounding the SCDF's Mr Lim is also believed to involve the tender and procurement of IT-related products.
Public discussion has been swirling around the identity of the mystery woman connected to the probe since Wednesday, when a New Paper report said a woman IT executive linked to both Mr Lim and Mr Ng was involved in the case.
It is believed that both men admitted during questioning that they had improper relationships with a woman.
Staff of private IT firms aiding in probe
The Straits Times could not contact the woman directly for comments on Thursday but she was described by friends and contacts as tall, slim, long-haired and vivacious.
The CPIB said on Wednesday both Mr Ng and Mr Lim, who were arrested separately under the Prevention of Corruption Act, were out on bail and helping in what the bureau called separate investigations.
Mr Ng, 44, was nabbed at his Bukit Batok home on Dec 19. Mr Lim, 51, was taken in on Jan 4.
The former government scholarship recipients, who together served more than 40 years in the uniformed services, have been suspended from their duties since Wednesday. They will be replaced from Feb 1.
Both have started to seek legal advice, and it is understood that Mr Ng's wife and family are standing by him, offering their full support.
Another six senior SCDF officers, along with employees in private sector IT firms, have been assisting in the probe too.
Mr Ng and Mr Lim were investigated following allegations of 'serious personal misconduct', the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had said on Tuesday.
A CPIB statement a day later said: 'As investigations are still ongoing, it is premature to assume that former commissioner of the SCDF Peter Lim Sin Pang and former director (of) CNB Ng Boon Gay would be ultimately liable for any criminal proceedings.'
The bureau had added that in the case of public servants, and especially where there may be no criminal wrongdoings but serious misconduct, the matter may also be referred to the ministry or agency concerned for appropriate disciplinary action to be taken.
Meanwhile, ST Electronics issued a statement on Thursday clarifying that none of its executives had been called up by the CPIB to assist with investigations into the case. The New Paper had on Thursday reported that an ST Electronics executive was assisting with CPIB investigations.
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