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3 CPIB officers to testify in Ng Boon Gay’s trial
SINGAPORE: Three officers of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) who recorded statements from Ms Cecilia Sue Siew Nang will be called as witnesses in the sex—for—contracts trial of ex—Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Ken Hwee said on Friday that the three new witnesses were responsible for recording a number of statements from Ms Sue, the prosecution’s key witness.
Ng, 46, is facing four charges of allegedly obtaining oral sex from Ms Sue, in exchange for showing favour in furthering the business interests of the companies she had worked for — Hitachi Data Systems and Oracle Singapore.
When Ms Sue took the stand last week and on Monday, her testimony in court contained significant inconsistencies from the ones that were earlier recorded by the CPIB.
One example that was raised by Defence Counsel Tan Chee Meng was of how she got to know of CNB’s budget of S$320,000 for an IT contract awarded in 2011.
Ms Sue had previously told the CPIB that the exact budget was provided by a Mr Paul Chew, but she later told the court that it was Ng who told her over the phone that the budget ranged at "a few hundred thousand dollars".
Another issue was regarding Ng’s influence over the awarding of government contracts.
The defence referred to Ms Sue’s statement to the CPIB that he had no influence.
But when asked again in court, Ms Sue said she wouldn’t know if he really influenced the process.
The court also heard that Ms Sue had told the CPIB that she and Ng were in a sexual relationship.
But on the stand, she denied this.
All this prompted Mr Tan, who is also a Senior Counsel, to accuse Ms Sue of "fabricating answers" as she went along.
She maintained her oral evidence given in court was the truth, and said that previous statements were not.
The inconsistencies led the defence to ask for Ms Sue’s testimony to be impeached and prompted the prosecution to question her as a hostile witness.
The prosecution was to have wrapped up its case against Ng after five witnesses took the stand in the first leg of the trial, which began on September 25 and ended on October 2.
The trial has been adjourned to October 31.
If convicted, Ng could be fined up to S$100,000 and/or jailed for a maximum of five years on each charge.
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