NParks officer charged with corruption, cheating, taking upskirt photos of women

SINGAPORE — A National Parks Board (NParks) officer was charged in court on Tuesday (April 13) for allegedly trying to seek S$10,000 in bribes from a contractor and cheating the state. 

Lee Choon Phing, 48, who was a manager of the Community in Bloom branch of NParks, was also slapped with nine counts of insulting the modesty of women. 

He allegedly took upskirt photographs of women using his mobile phone between 2015 and 2019.

His charge sheets revealed that his alleged victims included three women at a nursery that supplies plants used along Singapore’s roads and at parks.

He also apparently took upskirt photos in MRT train cabins and near Cedar Girls’ Secondary School.

In a press release issued after he was charged, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said the corruption and cheating charges are related to his dealings with one Tan Beng Khoon, who is the sole proprietor of SBM Easi Trade. 

NParks had contracted SBM to deliver 10,000 hats by the stipulated deadline of March 13, 2020 for S$23,300.

But in February last year, Lee allegedly attempted to obtain S$10,000 from Tan as a reward for misrepresenting to NParks that SBM had fulfilled the order in full when the delivery was late, and the firm could only deliver 5,000 hats.

Lee then allegedly cheated an accounts executive from NParks’ finance branch on April 14 last year by deceiving him into believing that SBM had delivered the full order by the deadline.

As a result, SBM avoided any late delivery fee, and NParks paid SBM the full contractual sum, CPIB said. 

It is not stated in court documents whether any money was paid to Lee or why he allegedly deceived the finance accounts executive.

Lee is out on S$20,000 bail. He will next return to court on May 25. 

If convicted of corruption, Lee, who faces one charge under the Prevention of Corruption Act, may be jailed up to seven years, fined up to S$100,000, or both.

If convicted of cheating, Lee, who faces one charge of this under Section 420 of the Penal Code, may be jailed for another 10 years and fined.

For intruding upon the privacy of a woman with the intention to insult her modesty, Lee could be sentenced to jail for up to a year, fined, or both.