Peter Lim Sin Pang
19 February 2013. On the first day of the corruption trial of former Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) chief Peter Lim Sin Pang, prosecution said that Peter had a tryst with a woman whose firm later bid for a contract with SCDF. Prosecution claimed that Peter had given Ms Pang Chor Mui advance notice of the tender to purchase radiation detectors in return for sexual favours. The sexual favour consisted of oral sex from Ms Pang in a car park in Stadium Walk. The defence denied that there was any connection between the tryst in the car park in 2010 and the company’s decision to tender for the contract one year later. The defence further claimed that the pair had only a one-off “physical encounter” resulting from their “playful and teasing banter.” The prosecution claimed that Ms.Pang who is in her 40s and has a teenage child, had agreed only because she did not want to jeopardise the relationship between them. The defence lawyers then in an unusual move applied to the court to deliver their opening statement. The prosecution protested, but District Judge Hamidah Ibrahim allowed the defence to proceed. Defence in its opening statement argued that the prosecution has not established any link between the sexual encounter and the tender which was called only a year later. The prosecution maintained that under the Prevention of Corruption Act, Lim as the head of the SCDF was automatically deemed t be corrupt the moment he asked for a sexual favour from a vendor. Nine other charges against Lim were stood down before the trial started. These charges involved alleged sexual relationship with two female executives in their 40s. These charges will be dealt with separately later. The trial resumes on 19 February 2013.
