Three Singaporean men, including a Huawei account director and an engineer from Singapore’s health tech agency, were charged with corruption and related offenses on Wednesday. The allegations center around offering and receiving bribes to advance business interests.
Peng Ming, a Huawei account director, faces four charges of corruptly providing benefits, three of which are consolidated, as well as one count of cheating. Ng Kah Siang, an engineer formerly employed by Integrated Health Systems Information (IHiS), is accused of attempting to secure bribes worth SGD 20,000 (approximately USD 14,700) from Peng in November 2021. Ng also faces additional charges for attempting to solicit 1% of a vendor’s sales revenue and at least SGD 20,000 from another vendor.
The alleged bribes were intended to further Huawei’s business dealings with IHiS, which has since rebranded as Synapxe and operates under Singapore’s Ministry of Health. Ng allegedly sought these benefits to influence business decisions in favor of Huawei and other companies.
Peng is also accused of deceiving Huawei by falsely presenting Ng and his wife as directors of IHiS to obtain approval for a sponsored trip to Paris, valued at approximately SGD 18,265. The trip, which occurred between March 11 and March 20, 2022, was reportedly part of a scheme involving Peng and Chiang Chee Seng, a senior sales director at Nera Telecommunications, to secure favorable business outcomes for their respective companies.
Additionally, Peng is alleged to have offered entertainment expenses of about SGD 300 on several occasions between 2020 and 2022 to an IHiS engineer as part of efforts to advance Huawei’s interests. Meanwhile, Chiang faces charges for offering Ng a share of Nera’s sales revenue as a bribe to influence business decisions.
All three accused have yet to indicate whether they will plead guilty or proceed to trial. Chiang is currently represented by legal counsel, while the other two defendants are not.
In response to queries, Huawei stated that Peng has not been employed with the company since early 2023 and reiterated its zero-tolerance stance on corruption and bribery. The company highlighted its compliance monitoring procedures and commitment to enhancing anti-bribery systems. Synapxe also confirmed that Ng has not been employed since May 2022, adding that his actions did not result in financial loss or procurement irregularities.
Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) emphasized the country’s strict zero-tolerance approach toward corruption and urged organizations to implement robust procedures to guard against such acts. A conviction for corruption in Singapore can result in up to five years in prison, a fine of up to SGD 100,000, or both.
The case is scheduled to be heard again on March 5.
Source: Channel News Asia, January 22, 2025
