Singapore charges two ex-employees of Sembcorp Marine with bribing Brazilian officials

Seatrium

28/03/2024 04:48

SINGAPORE, March 28 (Reuters) - Singapore authorities on
Thursday charged a former CEO of Sembcorp Marine and an
ex-senior general manager of one of the company's unit with
bribing Brazilian officials to advance the company's interests
in Brazil, according to a statement. 
    The city-state's Attorney-General's Chambers and Corrupt
Practices Investigation Bureau said in the statement that ex-CEO
Wong Weng Sun and ex-manager Lee Fook Kang faced five charges of
conspiring to give a middleman inducements to advance the
business interests of Sembcorp Marine's Brazilan subsidiaries. 
    The total amount of inducements and rewards offered amounted
to about $44 million, according to the statement.
    Lawyers for Wong and Lee did not immediately respond to
requests seeking comment. 
    Wong has also been charged with obstruction of justice after
he allegedly instructed two Sembcorp employees in 2014 to delete
an email sent by the middleman that contained evidence of
bribes. The alleged offences took place between 2009 and 2014,
according to the statement. 
        Sembcorp Marine and Keppel Offshore & Marine merged in
2023 to form Seatrium Ltd  SEAT.SI .        
    Besides the charges, Singapore prosecutors were also in
discussions with the merged entity for a deferred prosecution
agreement, which would see the company pay a penalty of $110
million, according to the statement. 
    Seatrium said in a stock exchange announcement on Thursday
that the Attorney-General's Chambers was agreeable to enter into
the deferred prosecution agreement.    
    It said it remains committed to the highest standards of
compliance, including in particular zero tolerance for bribery
and corruption. 

 (Reporting by Yantoultra Ngui; Editing by Tom Hogue)
 ((Yantoultra.Ngui@thomsonreuters.com;))