SINGAPORE - A senior employee with the Housing Board (HDB), and the director of a construction company, were charged with corruption on Thursday.

Tan Siam Chua, 60, who was a senior estate manager with HDB at the time of the alleged offences, was handed one charge of abetting corrupt transactions with agents.

The director of Liong Construction, Liong Ah Chye, 61, was charged with one count of corrupt transactions with agents.

On Sept 16, 2021, Liong allegedly through his employee, “Alex”, gave a false quotation from his company to another HDB senior estate manager, who was identified in charge sheets as Lau Chee Wee.

Liong is said to have known this false quotation was intended to mislead HDB.

Tan had allegedly instigated Liong to do so, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in a press release.

On Thursday, Tan told the court he intended to contest the charge.

Tan, who has not engaged a lawyer, said: “Those things that I have done is in accordance with HDB’s practice.”

The judge stopped him from elaborating further, and arranged for him to attend a pre-trial conference on Oct 26.

On Thursday, Liong also said through his lawyer, Mr Tang Shangwei from WongPartnership, he intended to contest the charge.

Mr Tang said Liong needs to travel to China to visit suppliers. The judge told the lawyer to put in an application for Liong to leave Singapore.

Liong’s case is also fixed for a pre-trial conference on Oct 26.

Both men are currently out on $10,000 bail.

If found guilty, Tan and Liong can be fined up to $100,000 or jailed for up to five years or both.

CPIB said it looks into all corruption-related complaints and reports, including anonymous tip-offs.

Members of the public can lodge an e-complaint on CPIB’s website, email them via report@cpib.gov.sg, or call 1800-376-0000.