Former PUB Officer and Project Manager Jailed For Corruption and Falsification of Accounts

On 14 February 2022, Ganisan s/o Suppiah (“Ganisan”, 52-year-old male Singapore Citizen), a Project Manager of Pipe Works Pte Ltd (“Pipe Works”) at the material time, was sentenced to a total of seven months’ and two weeks’ imprisonment for giving bribes to Jamaludin Bin Mohamed (“Jamaludin”, 58-year-old male Singapore Citizen), an Assistant Engineer of the Public Utilities Board (“PUB”) at the material time, and abetting the falsifying of accounts. On 16 November 2021, Jamaludin, who had received the bribes, attempted to obtain bribes, and falsified accounts, was sentenced to nine months’ and ten weeks’ imprisonment.

Corruption offences

2. Investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) revealed that sometime between 2017 and 2018, Jamaludin obtained bribes of S$45,169 on multiple occasions from Ganisan in return for facilitating and expediting works performed by Pipe Works and supervised by Jamaludin. Jamaludin had approached Ganisan to ask for ‘supervision’ fees in relation to the said works, which Ganisan agreed to as he wanted the works undertaken by Pipe Works to run smoothly and quickly.

3. Separately, in July 2019, Jamaludin also attempted to obtain a bribe of S$500,000 from a company which submitted a bid for a PUB tender some time in 2019, in return for purportedly assisting the said company to win that tender. The company rejected Jamaludin’s bribe request.

Penal Code offences

4. Investigations by CPIB also revealed that Jamaludin prepared false invoices of a company, Daeyul Services (“Daeyul”), which he had set up to receive monies from Ganisan. On 23 November 2017, an invoice from Daeyul for a sum of S$39,810 was billed to Pipe Works for cleaning services even though no such services were rendered. Ganisan then handed the S$39,810 in cash to Jamaludin after Pipe Works received the full payment from the main contractor..

5. Jamaludin and Ganisan were each charged in Court on 27 August 2021 for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act (“PCA”) and the Penal Code. Jamaludin faced one charge under Section 6(a) of the PCA read with Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code (“CPC”) and two charges under Section 6(a) of the PCA. Jamaludin also faced two charges under Section 477A of the Penal Code. Ganisan faced one charge under Section 6(b) of the PCA read with Section 124(4) of the CPC. For his role in abetting Jamaludin in the preparation of the said false invoices, Ganisan faced two charges under Section 477A of the Penal Code.

6. PUB had referred the case to CPIB.

7. Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to S$100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years or to both. The maximum imprisonment term for each offence of corruption can be increased to 7 years if it is in relation to a contract or a proposal for a contract with the Government or any public body, or a subcontract to execute any work comprised in such a contract. Any person convicted of falsifying accounts under Section 477A of the Penal Code can be fined or sentenced to imprisonment of up to 10 years, or to both.

8. CPIB looks into all corruption-related complaints and reports, including anonymous ones, and can be reached via the following channels:

a) Lodge an e-Complaint;
b) Email us at report@cpib.gov.sg;
c) Call the Duty Officer at 1800-376-0000; or
d) Write to us at the CPIB Headquarters @ 2 Lengkok Bahru, S159047.

9. Where possible, the report should include the following information:

a) Where, when and how the alleged corrupt act happened?
b) Who was involved and what were their roles?
c) What was the bribe given and the favour shown?

CORRUPT PRACTICES INVESTIGATION BUREAU