Under The Angsana Tree: Ex-GM Of AMK Town Council Charged with Corruption

Update 20 Nov 2019: Former Ang Mo Kio Town Council general manager jailed 2 years 3 months for taking S$86,000 in bribes

The former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council, Wong Chee Meng (left), was sentenced to two years and three months’ jail and ordered to pay a penalty of S$23,398.09. Chia Sin Lan, the director of two building and repair companies, was given one year and nine months’ jail

Two men involved in a high-profile graft case — former Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) general manager Wong Chee Meng and the company director he took bribes from — were sentenced to jail on Wednesday (Nov 20).

Wong Chee Meng, 59, pleaded guilty earlier this year to receiving S$86,141 in kickbacks from 2014 to 2016 to advance the business interests of Chia Sin Lan’s two companies, 19-ANC Enterprise and 19-NS2 Enterprise.

Wong was sentenced to two years and three months’ jail and ordered to pay a penalty of S$23,398.09. Chia, 63, was given one year and nine months’ jail. Chia’s companies were also ordered to pay S$75,000 each for being in a criminal conspiracy to commit corruption.

read more

Former AMKTC general manager, company director jailed over graft offences

Wong Chee Meng (left) used his position to influence the outcome of tenders that Chia Sin Lan's companies were bidding for. Wong received about $50,000 in bribes from Chia between 2014 and 2016. ST PHOTOS: KELVIN CHNG

A former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) was sentenced on Wednesday (Nov 20) to a total of 27 months' jail, or two years and three months, over corruption offences.

Wong Chee Meng, 59, received about $50,000 in bribes from a director of two construction firms. The director, Chia Sin Lan, 64, who was from 19-ANC Enterprise and 19-NS2 Enterprise, was sentenced to 21 months' jail, or one year and nine months.

The two firms were each fined S$75,000.

read more

Ang Mo Kio Town Council corruption case: Two men jailed

Wong Chee Meng, the former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore / Suhaile MD)

Two men were jailed on Wednesday (20 November) for corruption offences, bringing the almost three-year-long Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) saga to a close.

Victor Wong Chee Meng, a former general manager and secretary of AMKTC, was sentenced to a total 27 months’ jail, alongside a financial penalty of $23,398.09 as disgorgement for the financial gratifications he had received.

In March, the 59-year-old pleaded guilty to three counts of receiving tens of thousands of dollars in bribes over a period of two years. These amounted to a $13,500 discount on a purchase of a car, about $27,800 in remittances to his mistress in China and $34,070.40 in entertainment expenses at various KTV lounges, restaurants, massage parlours and a hotel.

read more

Jail for former AMKTC general manager and director he took bribes from

Former Ang Mo Kio Town Council general manager Wong Chee Meng and company director Chia Sin Lan. (Photos: Najeer Yusof/TODAY)

A former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) was sentenced to jail on Wednesday (Nov 20) along with a company director who had bribed him for contracts.

Victor Wong Chee Meng, 59, was sentenced to 27 months' jail while 64-year-old Chia Sin Lan, whose two companies provided construction services to town councils, received 21 months' jail.

The two companies 19-ANC and 19-NS2 were fined S$75,000 each. Wong also has to pay a penalty of about S$23,300 by May 2020 for gratification received including a discount for a car and entertainment expenses.

read more

Former Ang Mo Kio Town Council GM visited KTV lounges, massage parlours

Wong Chee Meng, the former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council. (PHOTO: Yahoo News Singapore file photo)

For nearly two years, Victor Wong Chee Meng, the former general manager and secretary of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC), allegedly received a steady stream of bribes totalling $107,336.50.

The 58-year-old purportedly took the kickbacks from Omar Chia Sin Lan, 62, the director and major shareholder of two firms, whose core business is the carrying out of works for town councils. Wong currently faces 55 charges of corruption for offences committed between December 2014 and September 2016. Chia’s two companies, 19-ANC Enterprise and 19-NS2 Enterprise, were also awarded tenders and contracts by AMKTC worth millions of dollars during the time that Wong accepted the bribes. Chia also faces 55 counts of graft.

“The lion’s share of the gratification, some $52,893.07, was in the form of entertainment expenses incurred by Victor Wong and Omar Chia at various KTV lounges and massage parlours, which the two frequented regularly at night,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Alan Loh while laying out the prosecution’s case at the start of the duo’s trial on Tuesday (25 September) morning.

read more

Mistress, KTV and Car: Ang Mo Kio Town Council General Manager Charged with Corruption

Disgraced former Ang Mo Kio Town Council general manager and secretary, Wong Chee Meng aka Victor Wong, has been charged with corruption. The 58-year-old who has since been sacked from his post at AMKTC now faces 55 counts of corruptly accepting gratification worth about S$107,000 in total from the director of 2 building firms, 19-ANC Enterprise and 19-NS2 Enterprise, in exchange for advancing the business interests of the firms with the town council.

These alleged bribes include overseas remittances to his mistress in China, a job for his daughter-in-law, entertainment expenses at KTV lounges, a S$13,500 discount on the purchase price of a car and the use of a mobile phone line. The alleged offences took place between December 2014 and September 2016. The case put the shoddy state of corporate governance in AMKTC in the spotlight – while serving as the GM of AMKTC, Wong also worked for CPG Facilities Management which was the managing agent of AMKTC, raising issues of conflict of interest. He was removed from duty after the town council received a complaint about him in September 2016 over “the way he handles contracts and dealings in the town council”.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is the MP for Ang Mo Kio GRC and serves on the Board of AMKTC.

read more

States Times Review 25 September at 15:52

According to the corruption trial for Ang Mo Kio GRC town council, former town council manager Victor Wong Chee Meng abused his powers to award his friends about S$23 million worth of government tenders. In return, Victor Wong accepted bribes - mostly spent on prostitution, a China mistress and alcohol - amounting to more than S$107,000 in the two years from Dec 2014 to Sep 2016.

Throughout the two years, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was said to be unaware of the shady dealings in his town council. The matter only came to light when an anonymous report was made to the corruption bureau in Sep 2016.

related: Lee Hsien Loong unaware S$23 million corrupted at his own town council

read more

Ex-Ang Mo Kio Town Council GM charged with accepting $107,000 worth of bribes, including remittances to mistress in China

Wong Chee Meng, 58, stands accused of taking bribes from 2 company directors in exchange for advancing the business interests of their companies with the Ang Mo Kio Town Council. ST FOTO: JONATHAN CHOO

A former general manager & secretary of Ang Mo Kio Town Council who allegedly took bribes from the director of two building firms was on Wed (Mar 14) charged with corruption.

Wong Chee Meng, 58, who is also known as Victor Wong, faces 55 counts of corruptly accepting gratification worth about $107,000 in total from the director of 19-ANC Enterprise and 19-NS2 Enterprise, in exchange for advancing the business interests of the firms with the town council, according to court documents.

These alleged bribes included overseas remittances to his mistress in China, a job for his daughter-in-law, entertainment expenses at KTV lounges, a $13,500 discount on the purchase price of a car & the use of a mobile phone line.

read more

Corruption trial of former Ang Mo Kio Town Council GM: Marriage troubles led him to accept drinks sessions

A former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) who is on trial for corruption was having marriage troubles in May 2015, after his wife found out about his affair with a "performance artist" from China.

These troubles prompted Wong Chee Meng, also known as Victor, to go for drinks with the director of 2 building and construction firms who he accepted bribes from, the court heard on Tuesday (Sep 25), the 1st day of his trial.

The bribes were allegedly in exchange for “advancing the business interests” of the director's firms. The companies were awarded tenders and contracts by AMKTC amounting to millions of dollars, according to court documents.

read more

AMK Town Council ex-general manager allegedly took S$107,000 in bribes & mistress money

A former General Manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC) was charged with 55 counts of corruption on Wednesday, March 14, 2018.

He was suspected of receiving S$107,000 in kind for giving AMKTC’s businesses to two repair building companies, 19-ANC Enterprise, and 19-NS2 Enterprise.

These are the quick facts of the case, according to court documents that Mothership saw. Who were involved:

Victor Wong Chee Meng, General Manager CPG Facilities Management, the managing agent of Ang Mo Kio Town Council.
Chia Sin Lan, director of 19-ANC Enterprise
Ms Yip Fong Yin, director of 19-NS2 Enterprise.

read more

Ex-GM of town council on trial over $107,000 in bribes

During the period a former Ang Mo Kio Town Council general manager allegedly took bribes from two company directors, the town council awarded tenders and contracts worth millions of dollars to the duo's two companies.

These included repair and redecoration works on blocks of Housing Board flats as well as the construction of community gardens, court documents revealed on the first day of the trial of former general manager Wong Chee Meng yesterday. Wong, 58, pleaded not guilty to taking the bribes totalling more than $107,000, mostly from Chia Sin Lan, 63, a director and major shareholder of companies 19-ANC Enterprise and 19-NS2 Enterprise, whose core business is doing works for town councils.

The "lion's share of the gratification", amounting to almost $53,000, was in the form of entertainment expenses at KTV lounges and massage parlours which Wong, who is also known as Victor, and Chia frequented, Deputy Public Prosecutor Alan Loh said yesterday.

read more

Former general manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council charged in court for alleged corruption

Wong is alleged to have received bribes from Chia totalling more than S$30,000, which purportedly took place on three occasions between June 2015 and May 2016. Between March and August 2016, Chia’s company 19-ANC Enterprise is said to have paid more than S$8,200 in salary to Wong’s daughter-in-law, Ms Le Thi Hien, who got her job at another firm because of the two men’s dealings with each other.

Wong also allegedly accepted bribes in the form of entertainment expenses on at least 29 occasions. Nearly S$45,000 was shelled out at various karaoke clubs in 2015. Other forms of gratification included hotel accommodations, as well as meals at various restaurants.

In another instance, Chia is said to have conspired with another individual, Yip Fong Yin who is a project director with 19-ANC and a director at 19-NS2, to offer bribes to Wong in the form of discounts amounting to S$13,500 for a car that Wong bought. Apart from the car discount, Chia faces 54 other counts of offering bribes to Wong.

read more

Ex-AMK Town Council general manager pleads not guilty to 55 counts of corruption charges

Wong started out as a property manager at AMKTC before he was promoted to general manager in 2013. The town council was alerted to a possible case of corruption in September 2016 and asked the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) to investigate Wong, after requesting him to go on leave. One month later, Wong was removed from all his positions at the town council.

The court heard that Chia bribed Wong with more than S$30,000, which Wong sent to his mistress Xu Hongmei in China. Chia also paid for Wong to receive “spa treatments” at Geylang and Spa-1 Wellness Centre worth between S$147 and S$1,476, and even once paid S$35 for Wong’s hotel stay at Fragrance Hotel. Besides this, Chia conspired with a car salesman, Yip Fong Yin, to give Wong a S$13,500 discount on a Toyota Corolla Altis. He got a job for Wong’s daughter-in-law at 4-Ever Engineering, where she received S$8,248 salary for working between March to August 2016, as well.

Chia further gave Wong free use of a M1 mobile line that cost S$2,527 and paid for Wong’s meals ranging between S$42 and S$1,377. Chia paid for karaoke club entertainment for Wong worth between S$121 and S$4,280, as well, which amounted to a total of about S$49,377, over three years.

read more

Former General Manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council Has Vanished From Public View

It’s been a year since Mr Victor Wong, the general manager and secretary of Ang Mo Kio Town Council (AMKTC), was removed from his position, after a complaint was lodged over “the way he handles contracts and dealings in the town council”.

The Public Service Media recipient was placed on indefinite leave and removed from his post. According to Channel NewsAsia, Mr Wong was last known to have been undergoing investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

Despite Singaporeans expecting some kind of conclusion or even an explanation by now, there has been nary a whisper or a peep about the case.

read more

Ex-AMK Town Council manager charged for corruption used to earn $10,550 a month!

Former General Manager of Ang Mo Kio Town Council Wong Chee Meng, who was slapped with 55 charges of corruptly accepting gratification from directors of two building and construction firm in exchange for “advancing the business interests” reportedly earn $10,550 a month!

The shocking details were revealed in court yesterday. Wong started out as a property manager at AMKTC before he was promoted to general manager in 2013. Former PAP supreme leader Lee Kuan Yew had always advocated the need to pay public servants high salaries to “prevent corruption”. In this case, it appears that Wong is paid too poorly.

Till today, there are still no comments from the PAP on the colossal corruption which happened in their Town Council.

read more

Contracts worth millions awarded to firms when former Ang Mo Kio Town Council GM was allegedly bribed

The lion's share of gratification which amounted to almost $53,000, said the prosecution, was in the form of entertainment expenses Wong & Chia incurred at KTV lounges & massage parlours, which they frequented often at night.

According to the Building & Construction Authority's directory, both businesses are licensed builders & registered to carry out repair and redecoration works.

The bribes, amounting to more than $107,000, were allegedly taken between December 2014 and September 2016. According to court documents, they include:

Remittances to Wong's mistress in China worth $30,600
Restaurant bills worth $5,000
A $13,500 discount on a Toyota Corolla Altis that Wong bought
A spa treatment in Geylang that cost around $1,070
Stays at budget hotels Fragrance Hotel and Hotel 81, which cost about $35 and $30 respectively
Entertainment expenses of more than $40,000 at various KTV lounges and nightclubs
A job for Wong's daughter-in-law Le Thi Hien at the firm 4-Ever Engineering. Chia's company 19-ANC Enterprise paid $8,247.67 towards her salary between March and August 2016
Charges amounting to $2,527.76 for Wong's use of an M1 mobile phone line.

Company director did not foot all bills on China trips with former AMK
Company director admitted to giving S$20,000 to former Ang Mo Kio

Ang Mo Kio Town Council

Sometimes I start doing an evaluation of my life.

In one of those I came across the story of the racing driver, Michael Shumacher.

When I studied his resume as an athlete I saw that he was:

Winner of the Grand Prix in 1991.

He was 7 times world champion of Formula 1.

Happiness was in his Being, but on a fateful day his story and his destiny completely changed due to a ski accident.

Today, just 44 kilos of weight struggling to "survive" since December 2013.

His wife begins to sell the goods to cover the expenses and thus be able to keep him alive in a room adapted in his house, where he lies like a vegetable.

Here comes a question:

Who is better than who?

Life can take directions never imagined.

It's amazing how everything can change in an instant.

No one is exempt from anything.

And in no circumstances are they of any use:
Money,
Titles,
Fame,
Success,
Power.

We are all the same.

Then why the pride?

Why the arrogance?

So why so much attachments to material goods and wealth?

All we have is the day to day so that we can live it with passion and happiness, doing good, serving our God, our family and neighbors with full of Joy and Gratitude.

We need to stop creating problems, claim insignificant things, and always avoid everything that "takes our time and lives".

Be careful not to lose someone who loves you and accepts you as you are.

As in the game of chess, in the end both the King and the Pawn are kept in the same box. In the end, we will all meet our end the same way.

It is worth examining what we have done or not yet do.

We are born without bringing anything. We die without taking anything, absolutely nothing!

And the sad thing is that in the interval between life and death, we fight for what we did not bring and even more for what we will not take. Think about that.

Let's live more, let's love more. Let's always understand the other and be more tolerant.

I wish we never forget that to be great *You have to be humble*.