SINGAPORE — Fourteen people have been dealt with over irregularities highlighted by the Auditor-General's Office (AGO) in its yearly reviews of the public sector from 2020 to 2022.

Of these, five were charged, while the remaining nine received either conditional or stern warnings.

The police said this on Thursday (Aug 22) in response to TODAY's queries about the outcomes of the reports that it had received from various government ministries and agencies since 2020. 

In its reviews, AGO had cast doubt on the authenticity of certain information, as well as found management lapses, which had prompted the ministries and agencies to further investigate and file police reports. 

The police reports had been made by the Health Promotion Board, Housing and Development Board, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), National Environment Agency, People's Association (PA) and Singapore Land Authority (SLA).

For another five cases during this period, investigations are ongoing or have concluded with no further action taken after the police determined that no criminal offence had occurred.

And as for the two police reports made by the State Courts and Singapore Food Agency resulting from AGO's latest review last year, TODAY understands that investigations are still in progress.

PEOPLE'S ASSOCIATION 

In AGO's 2020-2021 review, PA filed police reports over possible irregularities in payment documents and the inappropriate use of contract rates or inflated quantities, or both, which resulted in PA possibly overpaying for completed works. 

ACTION TAKEN

• Four men, aged between 42 and 67, were charged on Jan 31 this year for their suspected involvement in furnishing false information to public servants or committing forgery offences related to the development of Our Tampines Hub, which PA manages
• Two of the four men were convicted of providing false information to AGO and were fined S$8,000 each
• Prosecution of the remaining two men is ongoing

A police press release on Jan 31 stated that a 67-year-old man was charged with forgery offences.

Between October 2017 and June 2019, he served as a facilities manager for a then-term contractor engaged by PA for minor building works.

He allegedly instigated the term contractor’s administrative worker to forge 18 quotations purportedly issued by other contractors, with the intent to deceive PA into believing that the term contractor's quotation was the lowest of three submitted for building works requested by the association. 

The three other men — aged 42, 51 and 63 — were charged with offences relating to furnishing false information to a public servant. 

At the time of the alleged offences, the men held positions as a deputy director in facilities management, a senior facilities manager in contracts, and a senior key account manager of the then-managing agent engaged by PA.

The trio allegedly conspired to submit backdated procurement documents to AGO during its audit of the Our Tampines Hub development project between December 2020 and February 2021.

Following the alleged conspiracy, 142 backdated procurement documents were submitted to AGO. 

MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS

In the same 2020-2021 review, MHA made a police report over possible irregularities in records furnished for audit. The police confirmed that reports had been lodged against two contractors.

During an audit of two contracts, AGO selected samples to verify if the required work was completed.

However, it found signs in some supporting documents that raised doubts about their authenticity, leading to concerns that the necessary work may not have been properly completed.

ACTION TAKEN

• The first contractor was charged on July 27 in 2021 and fined S$3,000 on Sept 10 the same year
• He had pleaded guilty to a charge of forgery
• In the second case, the contractor was given a 12-month conditional warning on Aug 19, 2021

SINGAPORE LAND AUTHORITY

In AGO's 2021-2022 review, police reports were filed by SLA over two direct contracts it awarded to a contractor. These included:

• Tell-tale signs that cast doubt on the authenticity of quotations submitted by a contractor to substantiate the prices for some services
• Possible irregularities in quotations received 

The report did not indicate the value of these contracts. 

ACTION TAKEN

Eight people were issued either conditional or stern warnings for providing false information to public servants and forgery offences, the police said on Thursday

A stern warning is a formal caution without conditions, which may be issued in written form or verbally. It serves as a final caution, implying that any future similar conduct could lead to prosecution.

A conditional warning is issued when the authorities decide not to prosecute the offender immediately but impose certain conditions that the person must adhere to for a specified period, usually 12 months. 

Both are alternatives to immediate legal action, used in less severe cases.