4 Singaporeans charged over RM30m metro scandal

JOSEPHINE DAVIES, Vice-president, Youth wing,

Liberia Congress for Democratic Change party SINGAPORE: Four Singaporean men were yesterday charged over a scandal involving contracts for the metro worth almost S$10 million (RM30.4 million), the latest problem to hit the financial hub’s train network.

The prosecution of the group, which included former and current employees of metro operator SMRT, came after a series of breakdowns on the train system and a collision that injured dozens.

The accidents have caused anger in the city-state, where public transport is usually efficient and most have to rely on buses and trains as car prices are among the highest in the world.

Three of the four men caught in the latest scandal failed to disclose their interest in two engineering companies which had been awarded contracts from SMRT totalling S$9.8 million, the anti-corruption bureau said.

The offences allegedly happened between 2007 and 2012, the bureau said, adding that the men have been charged under a law that prohibits cheating.

Two of the men, Jamalludin Jumari, 61, and Zakaria Mohamed Shariff, 52, are former employees of SMRT and face 28 charges each.

Zulkifli Marwi, 52, still works at the rail company as a line manager and faces 24 charges.

Akbar Ali Tambishahib, 59, a director of the companies awarded the contracts, faces 28 charges.

If convicted, they face up to 10 years jail on each charge. AFP