King’s Counsel, 6 firms selected for haze probe panel, more may be added if necessary: MinLaw, NEA

Apart from an advisory role, Davinder Singh Chambers will also coordinate the work done by panel firms “to ensure that their evaluation reports effectively address the issues and contain the information and evidence needed by the NEA for its assessment”, MinLaw and NEA said on Friday.

Companies identified will be required to engage a team of professionals from the panel to conduct thorough inquiries into their operations, corporate relationships and supply chains, and to submit thorough audits to the government. 

Each panel team of assessors will include an investigations firm, as well as a law firm to advise the investigations firm. These assessors may also engage third parties or other experts to assist with their work, carrying out tasks such as remote sensing and geospatial analysis to pore over satellite hotspot data.

“The assessment will be conducted at the companies’ own expenses. The assessors will submit an evaluation report to NEA, which will take the findings into account in determining whether further action is warranted,” said the two agencies.

MinLaw and NEA added more members may be added to the panel if necessary. “Some law firms cannot be appointed to the panel because they are advising some of the companies that have been identified by the government,” they said.

The move comes after senior executives of 10 companies potentially linked to haze-causing firms were summoned to a rare meeting with three ministers on Wednesday. 

Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu met with the companies’ leaders to set out the government’s expectations and plans to strengthen laws holding those responsible for haze pollution accountable.

Also in attendance were Mr Singh and senior officials from the Attorney-General’s Chambers, NEA and MinLaw. 

The companies at the meeting were Bumitama Agri, First Resources, Golden Agri-Resources, Indofood Agri Resources, Kencana Agri, TSH Resources, Wilmar International and Sinar Mas Group. 

All of them had received notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act, and pledged at the meeting to cooperate fully with Singapore’s investigations.

WHAT THE SPECIALIST PANEL DOES

MinLaw said at the time that the government will examine the conduct of local and foreign companies, their corporate relationships and supply chains, to establish whether they have been involved in causing or condoning the fires that caused or contributed to the haze.

As complex corporate structures and commercial arrangements can span multiple jurisdictions, the panel’s task is to help the government establish facts.

“The government will require these companies to provide complete access to information and other relevant facts about their operations, supply chains and corporate group structures to satisfy the government that the companies are not in any way involved in causing or condoning the fires,” said the ministry previously.