Daily Lessons from Life 24 July 2013 - CPIB assistant director facing 21 charges of fraud involving at least $1.7m

"CPIB assistant director facing 21 charges of fraud involving at least $1.7m - AsiaOne The Straits Times Jul 24, 2013 SINGAPORE - An officer from the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) has been charged with misappropriating public funds. The Straits Times reported assistant director Edwin Yeo Seow Hiong was charged in court on Wednesday for misappropriating at least $1.7 million between 2008 and 2012. A statement from the Prime Minister's Office revealed that CPIB first uncovered the alleged wrong-doing in Sept 2012. The matter was reported to the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) of the Singapore Police Force, as the accused was a CPIB officer and the alleged financial impropriety could have amounted to a criminal offense. This was to ensure an impartial and thorough investigation. The Prime Minister appointed an independent review panel to investigate how this case happened, and to strengthen the financial procedures and audit system in CPIB to prevent a recurrence. "This case is particularly serious because it involved a senior officer in the CPIB, which is entrusted with the mission of maintaining the integrity of the system," said Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean, who is also the Minister in charge of the Civil Service. "As there have been a number of high profile cases recently, the public is understandably concerned about whether this reflects systemic issues in the Public Service. The Service itself is concerned about this. Earlier this year, PMO asked CAD and CPIB to conduct a study of public officers investigated by them for corruption and other financial crimes over the last five years to see whether there was any change in their number or profile. "Significantly, many cases were reported either by the public, or by officers in the public service. This suggests a strong culture in Singapore and in the Public Service which rejects corruption." At least no SEX is involved in this case based on the information revealed thus far. A blessing. An improvement? Lessons for me are: 1. we have one too many cases involving senior civil servants in recent years. It is NOT systemic by and large but just individual misbehaving or lost his or her way. This is the good part. The bad part, natural though some may feel too harsh an expectation, is the VERY STRONG GOOD NAME OF Incorruptibility of Singapore civil service is soiled! It will take some doing to restore the faith, especially the overly sensitive and critical ones; 2. it is not doubt the public expect, and will get, OPEN and transparent reporting of the trials and the reasons WHY promising, straight and clean officers, somehow, gone astray. In this case, gambling at MBS was cited as one of the reasons. I am sure he, if true, is the least expected of the collateral damages the government had in mind when it introduced casinos in the IRs. Old and retired and bored Singaporeans might had become victims to 'unsuspecting gambling pit' but NOT bright, intellectual and high paying civil servants!; 3. since it is possibly an individual act, it is absolutely vital to find out HOW can the deception be UNCOVERED earlier instead of only at the end of a 4-year period from 2008 - 2012. Could there be a SYSTEMATIC BREAKDOWN of internal control? Was 'management override' an overused action in this and other cases of irregularities? when there is an environment of 'fear for the 'bosses'', there is always a chance for the 'bosses' to do what they like. Hopefully this is NOT what we are seeing in this case. It is a sad day for CPIB. It is a sad day for Singapore. YET, it can also be a day for us to examine how we are catching those who want to test the system earlier. Let them be on guard as anyone who tries to cheat will be found out. NOT if, but when! The earlier the better of course!