Ng Boon Gay -- post-saga

Picture: news.insing.com/tabloid/defence-dismiss-ng-case/id-ab633f00

Saturday, February 15, 2014

news.asiaone.com/news/singapore/ng-boon-...ng-about-late-father

SINGAPORE - It has been a year since Ng Boon Gay, 47, was acquitted of corruption charges, but the former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief is still saddened by the fact that his father never got to know the outcome of his case.

The elder Ng had passed away from a heart attack before he was cleared of the charges.

In an interview with Lianhe Zaobao, Ng Boon Gay said that he experienced a terrible Chinese New Year in 2012, when he was accused of corruption in a sex-for-contracts case.

Just one month later, his father suffered a heart attack and passed away. His mother died from cancer in 2009.

He told the Chinese daily that he was very close to his parents and that his mother was very loving. When he went overseas for National Service training, she was so worried that she could not sleep for three weeks.

Stricken by the sudden loss of his mother, Ng said the loss of his dad less than three years later was a big blow to him.

Although his father did not say much about the case, Ng felt that his father was worried for him and believed that he was innocent.

"It is a pity he does not know I am now okay," Ng was quoted saying in the papers.

When asked about children, Ng told Lianhe Zaobao that he loved children but had long decided not to have any.

Ng Boon Gay regrets late father never witnessed his acquittal

He said that he and his wife, Yap Yen Yen, had decided that he had to focus on his career, as well as looking after his parents, instead.

Ng said that he had wanted to spend his time and efforts on ensuring his parents lived comfortably in their golden years, adding that he did not mind moving into a retirement home in the future.

Ng could not hold his tears back as he recalled memories of his parents.

Growing up in a poor family, Ng Boon Gay said he depended on study grants and bursaries from various institutions to fund his education.

Ng is the fourth child out of five in the family, and the only one who has graduated from university.

Growing up, he lived in a rented home from which his parents ran two food stalls.

As he had to help them out, he could only start studying at midnight every night.

Ng told Lianhe Zaobao that they were so poor that their electricity supply was cut off, and he had to light a candle so he could study.

ljessica@sph.com.sg

Singapore Ex-Protocol Chief Pleads Guilty to False Claims

By Andrea Tan Feb 17, 2014

www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-02-17/singap...to-false-claims.html

Lim Cheng Hoe, Singapore’s former chief of protocol at the Foreign Affairs Ministry, pleaded guilty to submitting false expenses over the amount of pineapple tarts and wines he bought as gifts.

Lim, 61, was charged in October with 60 counts of cheating for boosting his expense claims by S$88,997 ($71,000). The prosecutors today proceeded on 10 charges, with the rest to be taken into account for sentencing. Each charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in jail and a fine.

Prosecutor Kelvin Kow urged Singapore Subordinate Courts Judge Eddy Tham to impose a jail term of 18 months to “resolutely deter” others. Philip Fong, Lim’s lawyer, said a prison term of eight to 10 months would be appropriate. Tham said he would sentence Lim on Feb. 20.

Lim’s offenses caused a vast amount of public disquiet, harmed the public service and he abused his position as a senior public official, Kow said. Lim oversaw ministerial and presidential trips overseas and had worked at the ministry for 38 years.

“This is not a case of momentary indiscretion,” Kow said. “He should not be treated as a first offender.”

Lim claimed to have bought over a four-year period 10,075 boxes of pineapple tarts, a common gift during the Lunar New Year, about 4 1/2 times the actual amount. Lim also overstated the amount of wine bought and used for official trips and visits, claiming 248 bottles. He also made claims for items he didn’t buy at all, prosecutors said.

Some Disrepute

Lim’s acts may have brought some disrepute to the public service, Fong said at today’s hearing. Singapore’s ties with other nations didn’t suffer though, he said.

Lim received several public service awards and took responsibility for his offenses, Fong said.