SINGAPORE — The prosecution yesterday slammed former Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) chief Peter Lim Sin Pang’s claim that his one-off sexual encounter with Ms Pang Chor Mui was a result of their “close friendship”, as “disingenuous” and “absurd”.

Making its closing submissions in the case, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Tan Kiat Pheng said Ms Pang — the prosecution’s key witness — had only re-established contact with Lim after a 10-year hiatus in their friendship, and only upon learning he had been appointed SCDF Commissioner. Prior to May 2, 2010, the day Lim obtained oral sex from Ms Pang, DPP Tan pointed out that Ms Pang had only met Lim for “three or four lunches” and their other contact was solely through text messages and phone calls. They also did not meet again after this sexual encounter, added DPP Tan.

Lim, 52, is charged with corruptly obtaining oral sex from Ms Pang, 49, the ex-general manager of Nimrod Engineering in exchange for furthering her business interests with the SCDF.

Defence counsel Hamidul Haq and K Bala Chandran yesterday maintained that the oral sex stemmed from “a purely personal relationship” between the pair. They argued that it was not on Lim’s mind that Ms Pang was an employee of Nimrod when the oral sex was performed. He viewed Ms Pang in her individual capacity and did not receive the oral sex with the thought that the act was in exchange for future favours to be shown to Nimrod.

While the defence contended that it was Ms Pang who initiated the oral sex, DPP Tan pointed out that Lim admitted in his court statements that he had wanted to “give opportunity” to Ms Pang to have sex with him.

Even though the prosecution charged that Lim had shown “servitude” when he called Ms Pang to provide Nimrod advance information of the SCDF’s requirement for radiation portal monitors, Lim’s lawyers put it down to an “urgency” caused by the Fukushima nuclear disaster, coupled with the SCDF’s “unexpected lack” of functional radiation portal monitors for radiation screening operations at Changi Airport. The call, however, alerted Nimrod — which did not carry the product — to find a supplier and submit a bid in time for the SCDF’s call for vendors, argued DPP Tan.

The prosecution also pointed out that Lim had failed to declare his conflict of interest in the SCDF’s two open tenders for radiation portal monitors. “It shows the accused had something to hide. Clearly, he knew his conduct in obtaining oral sex from a vendor’s representative was corrupt; and he did not want to be found out,” said DPP Tan.

The prosecution also sought to convince District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim that Lim “tailored” his evidence during the 12-day trial according to the testimonies of the prosecution’s nine witnesses.

But Mr Haq said that Lim had “adequately and satisfactorily explained” all of the alleged inconsistencies. Calling for his client to be acquitted, Mr Haq said the prosecution had “applied a double standard” in asserting that Ms Pang was a credible witness when it had applied to cross-examine Ms Pang with the view of substituting her oral testimony, which contradicted some of her CPIB statements.

Lim is one of two high-ranking public officials charged with corruption in the past year.

The other, former Central Narcotics Bureau Director Ng Boon Gay, was acquitted in February.

A verdict in Lim’s case will be delivered on May 31. Under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Lim faces up to a $100,000 fine and/or five years in prison if convicted of the offence.