SINGAPORE — A former chief executive officer of Aon Singapore, Collin Chiew, was on Thursday (Feb 8) charged with obtaining S$668,000 in bribes while he headed the insurance firm, and later as a director at another insurer.

The bribes were allegedly paid by three individuals linked to Fullerton Healthcare Group (FHG), a company that operates several clinics in Singapore. 

The three were charged on Thursday with giving bribes to Chiew and falsifying accounts, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a statement.

On Thursday, Chiew, 56, was also handed a money laundering charge for allegedly using S$160,000 in criminal proceeds to buy a landed property along Bedok Terrace. 

This is the second time he has been charged with corruption-related offences.

In December, he was accused of obtaining S$240,000 in bribes on two occasions between December 2017 and May 2018 from FHG through Straits Priority Consulting.

On Thursday, he was charged with three more counts of corruptly obtaining gratification, in relation to S$384,000 that he allegedly obtained as CEO of Aon Singapore from 2015 to 2018.

Chiew is accused of receiving the monies over multiple occasions from Chan Pai Sheng, Daniel, who was former director of FHG, as inducements to advance the business interest of the healthcare company with Aon Singapore.

In relation to this, Chan, a 50-year-old Singaporean, who is also former director of Fullerton Health and former president of Fullerton Health China, was charged with four counts of conspiring with two others to corruptly give bribes to Chew.

The two individuals are Singaporeans Michael Tan Kim Song, 50, and David Sin, 44.

Tan is a former director of FHG and Sin is a former president and former board chairman of Fullerton Healthcare Corporation.

Chiew also faces one count of obtaining bribes in 2019 as director of AIA Hong Kong.

He allegedly obtained S$320,000 in gratification from Chan over four occasions, as inducements to advance the business interests of FHG with AIA Hong Kong.

Chiew's lawyer, Mr Andy Yeo from Eldan Law, did not indicate how his client intended to plead as yet. 

Chan and Sin each face one count of conspiring to corruptly give gratifications to Chiew over this alleged offence.

Chan was also charged with eight counts of falsifying accounts. 

He allegedly falsified entertainment claims from 2016 to 2019 to defraud Fullerton Healthcare Corporation and Fullerton Health China into paying him about S$440,666, when the actual entertainment expenses incurred was about S$169,719.

He then allegedly used the amounts claimed to pay bribes to Chiew.

Tan and Sin also respectively face one count and eight counts of allegedly conspiring with Chan to falsify accounts.

Sin's lawyer, Mr Tang Shangwei from WongPartnership, said that his client plans to contest the charges. 

Sin's case is headed for a pre-trial conference scheduled on March 7.

The cases of Tan and Chan, who did not indicate how they plan to plead, will be heard on March 11, together with Chiew's case. 

A corruption offence attracts a penalty of five years’ jail or a fine of up to S$100,000, or both.

If convicted of a money laundering offence under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, a person can be imprisoned for up to 10 years or fined up to S$500,000, or both.

Anyone convicted of falsifying accounts can be jailed for up to 10 years or fined, or both.