FB
@Goh Meng Seng
Now the plot thickens!
There was INDEED CONFLICT OF INTERESTS when the wife of Shanmugam negotiated DIRECTLY with SLA officials!
Adding this to Shanmugam telling SLA about clearing the vegetation of the land directly, the whole deal was indeed done with full Conflicts of Interests!
Yet both CPIB & TCH don't recognize such instances of blatant conflict of interests?!
I am TOTALLY UNCONVINCED!
(Forwarded as received)
The CPIB and TCH Reports raise some issues.
SLA on 12 May 2023 had said in a statement that Mr Shanmugam was “the only bidder”, and Dr Vivian the “highest bidder”.
Now we know better.
Based on the CPIB and SM Teo Chee Hean reports, there were in fact no bidding exercises. The two had instead “negotiated” with SLA.
SLA had been misleading, but it can redeem its integrity by answering these questions arising from the Reports:
1. What were the criteria for establishing “low in demand”?
2. How could the demand for No 26 be deemed low when its availability was advertised only with a sign “displayed prominently at the gate” (Ref para 31 of TCH Report)?
For No 26, the rental offer was made by the “property agent” of Mr Shanmugam (para 40 and 41 of the TCH Report). This minimally ensures an arms-length dealing in an otherwise outright conflict of interest situation.
But the TCH Report, in para 97, also states that “even though SLA had appointed an MA (managing agent) to market the site, SLA had directly engaged with Mrs Shanmugam, in negotiating matters relating to the property at No 26 Ridout Road”.
This demolishes the arm’s length dealing. It brings back to the fore an outright conflict of interest situation.
How can a civil servant possibly be impartial, or seen as such, when he directly deals with the wife of his minister on a matter of personal financial interest to the minister?
How could the then CE/SLA make a declaration to the PS of MinLaw the “rental transaction was properly done with no conflict of interest” (para 50 of the TCH Report), when there was in fact conflict of interest?
The current Board chair or CE of SLA should comment on this.
This episode of the Ridout bungalows should be a case study mandated by the Head of Public Service for the education of public officers on how to deal properly and courageously with various forms of conflict of interests situation involving political leaders.
BSPL
29 June 2023