8 public officers referred to police after review of 191 property transactions near unannounced MRT stations

SINGAPORE: Eight public service officers have been referred to the police after a review of 191 officers' property transactions, Coordinating Minister for Public Services Chan Chun Sing told parliament on Tuesday (Oct 6).

The review followed a working paper by the United States-based National Bureau of Economic Research, which identified 2007 to 2011 as the period of concern. 

The Public Service Division extended the scope to 2014 as a matter of prudence, Mr Chan said, because many new MRT station locations continued to be announced after 2011.

Of the 191 officers, eight were found to have cases that warrant further examination, said Mr Chan, who is also defence minister. Further checks are ongoing.

“This could be due to the specific circumstances surrounding the purchase, or that we currently do not have adequate information to exclude the case from further review. We have referred these cases to the police,” he said.

He stressed that a referral does not mean that wrongdoing has been established, and that the police will look into the facts independently and due process will be followed.

The government will consider what the review reveals about the effectiveness of existing safeguards and the gaps to address, he said.