4 weeks’ jail for project manager who sought confidential info from DSTA employee

An electrical firm project manager was sentenced to four weeks’ jail on Oct 3 after seeking confidential information from a Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) employee over a project worth $3 million.

Tan Kian Meng, 47, pleaded guilty to two charges under the Official Secrets Act over receiving information from Hsu Yee Chern, who was a DSTA employee at the time and has since resigned.

Hsu, 52, was sentenced to four weeks’ jail in July. He had shared with Tan – an employee at John Holland Electrical & Service (JHES), a firm that specialises in generator and electricity supply installation and maintenance – information linked to the budget of a DSTA-managed project, for which JHES would later bid.

In the end, DSTA did not award the project to the company.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Ronnie Ang told the court that DSTA’s tasks include managing the design, development and maintenance of defence infrastructure for the Ministry of Defence.

DSTA is also responsible for the procurement process involving external vendors’ contracts. This includes sourcing for vendors and evaluating their bids.

As a DSTA employee, Hsu was involved in evaluating bids or tenders from vendors like JHES.

Hsu and Tan first got to know each other in 2014, when JHES was working on a construction project for DSTA in Pulau Tekong.

After the project was completed in 2015, the two men continued to meet each other for meals and drinks at Tan’s invitation, as he wanted to maintain a good working relationship with Hsu.

In 2019, Hsu was involved in a DSTA-managed project regarding the renovation of a Stagmont Camp office building in Stagmont Road, near Teck Whye Crescent.

In March that year, Tan initiated a discussion with Hsu over text messages on the requirements of the project. Due to his position, Hsu had confidential information that DSTA’s budget for the project was a few million dollars.

Tan then sought advice from Hsu on the specifics of the Stagmont project’s tender requirements. “In reply, Hsu advised Tan not to quote more than $3 million in its tender to DSTA for the Stagmont Project, and in so doing Hsu had communicated directly the budget information to Tan,” said the prosecutor.

JHES later tendered for the Stagmont project and submitted a quotation for an amount lower than what was stated in the budget. After the close of tender submissions, Tan asked Hsu for updates on DSTA’s evaluation of the tenders linked to the project.

Without revealing details, DPP Ang said that Hsu then texted the evaluation information directly to Tan. However, JHES ultimately did not advance to the tender interview stage, and DSTA did not award the Stagmont project to it.

Separately, from 2020 to 2022, Hsu attended at least five dinners with Tan and other JHES employees, with each meal costing between $300 and $1,400.

Both men’s offences came to light in November 2022, when an unnamed whistleblower told DSTA about Hsu’s close relationship with JHES employees, including Tan.

The following month, DSTA referred the whistleblower’s complaint to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

Those found receiving any secret official information, knowing that this information is in contravention of the Official Secrets Act, can be jailed for up to two years and fined up to $2,000.

Source: The Straits Times © SPH Media Limited. Permission required for reproduction.

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