Former BCA Inspection Officer Sentenced to Jail for Saying He Also ‘Provided Other Types of Services’

By
Rae Woo
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When someone insinuates that they also “provide other services”, it definitely sounds shady enough for you to want to call the cops on them too.

Maybe unless you were, or are one of those who frequent shady establishments.

Saying that to someone can actually land you in jail, like this man discovered the hard way.

BCA Officer Sentenced To Jail For Corruption

On 6 October, a former Building and Construction Authority (BCA) officer found himself sentenced to jail after trying to sell his “other services” in a bout of corruption.

32-year-old Tan Ming Jie was charged for corruption in August involving two construction sites he was in charge of inspecting last year, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) announced.

Tan, as an officer for the BCA, was supposed to inspect construction sites and dormitories to ensure that COVID-19 safe distancing measures were well in place and handle any breaches.

On 24 November 2020, he went to inspect a construction site at 69 Begonia Drive, Yio Chu Kang, which Domain Trading & Construction was in charge of.

When he contacted the general manager of the firm to arrange the date on which he would come down to inspect the site, he also introduced himself as a safety and sales manager of Angelshield Safety Consultant with his personal name card.

Tan told the general manager that he “provided other types of services” besides being a BCA officer through WhatsApp.

Told Them They Had Insufficient Safe Management Measures

According to Tan, Domain Trading’s safe management measures plan was insufficient, with it being so bad that they wouldn’t be able to draft up a new one within the 48-hour submission timeline.

Upon hearing the result of their inspection from Tan, the general manager of Domain Trading was worried and called Tan to clarify.

Apparently, Tan implied that if Domain Trading’s plan didn’t comply with the proper rules, they would be forced to halt activities with a stop work order.

Worried that Tan would report Domain Trading to the BCA, the general manager thus decided to employ Angelshield’s services to draft a new safe management measures plan through Tan, because, well, he provides other types of services mah.

The total fee for the service was $600, which the general manager then paid to Tan via a cheque in December 2020.

It was constituted as receiving a bribe under the eyes of the law.

Charged After Trying Again

After his first scam, Tan did not stop there – and tried again the very next day at another construction site.

Sin Hock Keong Construction was managing a site at 4 Plantation Avenue in Serangoon, and Tan approached its project manager with the same method.

However, it didn’t work this time, for they reported the incident to the BCA where it was referred to the CPIB.

Tan now faces a penalty of $600, the money he received, along with eight weeks of jail for his corruption charges.

Corruption offences can carry fines of up to $100,000 and a jail term of five years or both.

According to the CPIB, the “maximum imprisonment term for each offence of corruption can be increased to seven years if it is in relation to a matter or contract with the Government or public body, or a subcontract to execute work comprised in such contract.”

So don’t play play with your other services.

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Featured Image: Dan Henson / Shutterstock.com

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Rae Woo
Email: [email protected]