29 January 2013. Former Narcotics Bureau Chief, Ng Boon Gay’s corruption trial resumed yesterday after a long pause. Both prosecution and defence counsels delivered their closing arguments yesterday. The trial lasted 14 days and 10 witnesses including Mr. Ng gave testimony. Senior Consel for the prosecution, Tan Chee Meng, argued that the prosecution witnesses Cecillia Sue was a liar and therefore was not a dependable. She lied on several instances, not just to protect her marriage but also to incriminate his client. Mr Tan claimed that the prosecution has not provided any evidence to prove that Ng was corrupt. Ng, 46, faces four counts of obtaining oral sex from IT executive Cecilia Sue, 36. in 2011 as an inducement to further the business interests of her then employers Hitachi Data Systems and Oracle Corporation Singapore. The defence counsel said that the prosecution had acknowledged right from the start that Ms. Sue never asked for or expected any favours from his client, nor has his client promised any favours. He urged the court not to convict an innocent man just to bring home the message that corruption is wrong. He argued that the prosecution had not advanced its case since the first day of the trial. He also pointed out that all the procurement processes were carried out with full compliance of all requirements and Ms. Sue never asked his client for any favours. The prosecution, which wrapped up its case in the afternoon, are argued that a civil servant cannot allow himself to seek gratification from others. Deputy Chief Prosecutor Tan Ken Hwee, the lead prosecutor, argued that Ng being a civil servant and one who had the authority to make decisions, had also the burden of proving that he had received gratification legitimately. Prosecutor pointed out that Ng did not did not make any genuine efforts to assure Ms Sue that he would not have any role to play in the final awarding of the contract. He also failed to excuse himself from any document processors in which Sue’s employer had an interest. He also did not declare any conflict of interest to the CNB. Instead, he took part in procurement processes knowing well that Ms. Sue had an unassailable interest in entering into dealings not just with any department of the Singapore government but with the very department, whose stewardship was entrusted with him. The District Judge Siva Shanmugam will deliver the verdict on 14 February 2013.
