SINGAPORE – The director of a construction company gave at least $192,000 in bribes to a facilities management director at the Singapore Zoological Gardens, now known as the Singapore Zoo.
At the time of the offences, the zoo was a subsidiary of Wildlife Reserves Singapore (WRS), which had awarded jobs worth more than $3.7 million and paid nearly $2.7 million to Ultron Construction.
Now known as the Mandai Wildlife Group, WRS suffered a loss of at least $192,000 due to inflated bids that Ultron had submitted under the corrupt arrangements.
The company director, Wong Eng Kuen, 46, was sentenced to eight months’ jail on Dec 5 after he pleaded guilty to three graft charges involving at least $140,000 in total. He committed these offences in 2016.
Three other charges relating to the remaining amount were considered during his sentencing.
Barry Chong Peng Wee
, then 58, who is no longer working for the zoo, was sentenced to six years’ jail after obtaining more than $2.4 million in bribes from multiple people between 2005 and 2016.
Chong, whom the prosecution described as the “central orchestrator” of the graft offences, was also ordered to pay a penalty of more than $2.4 million.
He would have to spend an additional six years, seven months and 13 days behind bars should he fail to pay the amount.
Toh Yong Soon
, then 39, was sentenced to three years and three months’ jail in May 2024. He is Wong’s brother-in-law.
He was working for another company called Shin Yong Construction (SYC) at the time of the offences.
