Written Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran to Parliamentary Question on Names of Companies or Businesses Involved in Case where Former LTA Deputy Group Director was Jailed for Taking Bribes

Mr Dennis Tan Lip Fong asked the Minister for Transport 

a.     whether LTA will be releasing the names of all companies or businesses on behalf of which bribes or loans have been given to former LTA Deputy Group Director Henry Foo Yong Thye; and 

b.     whether the said companies or businesses will be banned from tendering for future contracts with LTA or all future Government contracts. 

Reply by Minister for Transport S Iswaran:

1.     LTA is committed to upholding public sector procurement requirements and high safety standards when carrying out all projects. These include projects such as the Thomson-East Coast Line and Cross Island Line. 

2.     To meet our stringent safety standards, construction works are closely monitored by a team of LTA officers. There are also independent checks conducted on the safety of construction works, with the independent reviewer reporting directly to BCA, as required by law. All procurement activities also adhere to standards of good governance, which include multiple layers of checks and eventual endorsement by a panel with senior officers from a non-user department to ensure all proposals are evaluated rigorously and impartially. In other words, no officer is able to singly approve variation orders or to sign off on completed works. 

3.     The persons who have been charged in relation to the corruption offences committed by Mr Henry Foo have been made public by CPIB through their press release, and names reported by the press. The Standing Committee of Debarment (SCOD) decides on all cases of debarment, and CPIB will only be able to make its recommendations to the SCOD after the current proceedings have completed.