Former Employees of Pest Control Company Sentenced to Jail for Corruption

On 18 March 2019, Tung Chee Keong (湯志强) and Chandran Jeganathan, former employees of Killem Pest Pte Ltd, were sentenced to jail for offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Tung was sentenced to a total of 11 weeks’ and five days’ imprisonment while Jeganathan was sentenced to a total of six weeks’ and three days’ imprisonment. Killem Pest Pte Ltd (Killem) is a contractor engaged by the National Environment Agency to conduct vector control.

2. Tung (a 48-year-old male Singaporean) and Jeganathan (a 30-year-old male Indian National) were earlier charged on 18 January 2019 with five counts of abetment by engaging in a conspiracy with each other to corruptly accept gratification from one Muthukaruppan Periyasamy, a Site Manager of Fenzhii Engineering Services Pte Ltd and Ramo Industries Pte Ltd. This was a reward for providing Periyasamy with advance notification of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections by Killem between May to August 2018. Tung had accepted gratification totalling $1,000 while Jeganathan had accepted a total of $600. Correspondingly, Periyasamy was charged with five counts of corruptly giving gratification totalling $1,600 to Tung and Jeganathan, and his case is before the courts.

3. Investigations revealed that Tung and Jeganathan had accepted an offer by Periyasamy to pay them a sum of $400 a month in return for providing him with advance notification of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections at a construction site he was overseeing. Subsequently in May, June, July and August 2018, Jeganathan informed Periyasamy of impending inspections on four occasions and Periyasamy separately passed $400 to either Jeganathan or Tung for each month. The monies were split between Tung and Jeganathan, with Tung receiving a total of $1,000 and Jeganathan receiving $600.

4. Tung was also charged on 18 January 2019 for corruptly attempting to obtain gratification of $1,000 in a separate incident. Investigations revealed that in July 2018, after inspections at another construction site, Tung met with one Kok Chew Leong, a Workplace Safety and Health Officer of the contractor (China Jingye Engineering Corporation Ltd), who was overseeing the site. Tung had on this occasion solicited a sum of $1,000 from Kok in return for providing advance notification of upcoming mosquito breeding inspections and turning a blind eye to mosquito breeding violations. Kok rejected Tung’s solicitation for bribes.

5. Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption. It is a serious offence to accept bribes, or attempt to obtain bribes from another individual or entity. Corrupt acts which compromise mosquito breeding controls can pose a serious danger to public health safety. Any person who is convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to $100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to 5 years or to both.

6. The CPIB looks into all corruption complaints and reports, including anonymous ones, and can be reached via the following channels:

a) Visit or write to us at the CPIB Headquarters @ 2 Lengkok Bahru, S159047;
b) Call the Duty Officer at 1800-376-0000;
c) Lodge an e-Complaint; or
d) Email us at report@cpib.gov.sg

Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau