SINGAPORE — A former assistant buyer from transport operator SMRT was charged on Friday (Aug 20) with multiple corruption and forgery offences, allegedly committed between 2015 and last year.

Soh Choon Heng, 43, was handed nine charges of taking more than S$54,000 in bribes from three directors of supply firms, as well as four other forgery charges.

Two directors — Yong Ming Jun, 38, from Euro Bremse; and Wong King Mooi, 46, from electrical works firm CEE Technologies — were also charged alongside Soh. They face five and three corruption charges respectively.

Soh is accused of obtaining at least S$24,450 in gratification from Yong between 2016 and last year, as a reward for providing Yong with information of quotations that competitor vendors submitted to SMRT.

This was to advance the business interests of Euro Bremse, which deal in automobile spare parts.

Soh also purportedly took gratification of at least S$28,700 from Wong between 2017 and 2019 for similar reasons.

Separately, Soh was charged with obtaining at least S$900 in bribes from another company director on three occasions in 2015 for the same reasons. 

Charge sheets listed the director as Mr Lee Won Jong from Alturan Pte Ltd, which imports and distributes automotive parts. It is unclear if he has been prosecuted as well.

In November 2017, Soh allegedly forged the signature of Mr Roman Ng Yeu Chye, an SMRT procurement manager, on two letters of agreement. 

He is also said to have forged the signature of Mr Teo Wee Teck, director of procurement at SMRT, on two supply contracts in December that year and in May 2018.

Soh will return to court on Sept 8 and remains out on bail of S$50,000.

Yong, a Singaporean, and Wong, a Malaysian, will return on Sept 16.

Those convicted of corruption can be jailed for up to five years or fined up to S$100,000, or punished with both.

If convicted of forgery, Soh could be jailed for up to four years or fined, or both.