谁给掂量一下：这是一起美人计吗？

 

AMONG uniformed officers under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), anti-corruption investigators are known as Uncle Sam.

 

And the building housing the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) as the White House.

 

On Jan 5, Uncle Sam swooped in unannounced on the Ubi Avenue 4 office of Mr Peter Lim, then Commissioner of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

 

A short time later, the engineering graduate - who was promoted to SCDF chief in 2009 - was taken to the White House. His men were later told he was on leave. Indefinitely.

 

He wasn't the only senior officer under MHA to be hauled in.

 

Earlier, Mr Ng Boon Gay, director of the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB), had been picked up in the same investigation.

 

The New Paper had become aware of the investigation after Mr Ng was picked up in late December.

 

At that time, TNP contacted Mr Ng's personal assistant but we were told that he was on sudden leave. There was no word on when he was coming back.

 

Yesterday, MHA released a statement saying their deputies have since taken over.

 

Both the SCDF and CNB come under the MHA umbrella while CPIB reports to the Prime Minister's Office.

 

Mr Lim and Mr Ng have since been interdicted, which is a technical term for suspended.

 

Officers can be interdicted when it is deemed to be in the public interest for the officer to cease exercising his appointed power.

 

TNP understands the suspensions are the result of a probe involving the supply of IT-related products and services.

 

Senior officers in the IT wing at SCDF are assisting with the investigation, but it is believed they are not implicated.

Missing in the MHA statement is the role played by an executive with a company that supplied IT-related products and services to several government offices including MHA and SCDF.

 

She is said to have developed a close working relationship with both Mr Ng and Mr Lim.

 

But Mr Lim and Mr Ng were unaware of each other's dealings with the woman. TNP understands the woman is also assisting with the investigation.

 

Government agencies had launched their own internal audit following the Singapore Land Authority scandal in which two executives stole $12.2 million by cooking up fake procurements.

 

In November last year, Koh Seah Wee, ex-deputy director of its technology and infrastructure department, was sentenced to 22 years' jail while former manager Lim Chai Meng, 38, was jailed 15 years.

 

Following an MHA audit, Liew Chee Meng - who was then an assistant executive at the ministry - was found to have illegally obtained $617,087.

 

Liew, 35, was sentenced earlier this month to eight years and eight months' jail for fraud. TNP understands that in the SCDF and CNB case, the alert came from an internal source who questioned if protocol was being followed in their IT deals.

While no money is thought to be involved, the close relationship between the IT executive and the two senior officers was enough of a concern.

 

Since the heads of both departments were involved, the complaint reached CPIB.

 

TNP understands that in statements to CPIB, both Mr Lim and Mr Ng confirmed their relationship with the female executive.

 

Soon after, the officers were suspended and put on home leave.

 

But most of the subordinates were still in the dark at the time.

 

Word of the investigation started to spread after an alert was sent out to all police armourers that Mr Ng was not to be issued a weapon.

 

CNB officers are issued with revolvers when on field duty and sending out an alert to armourers is normal practice when an officer is suspended.

 

At home, both men were advised to alert their families to the investigation and spend a quiet Chinese New Year.

 

Said a CNB officer: "The news of Mr Ng's suspension is a complete surprise to a lot of officers...

 

In fact, I only learnt of it this morning when a colleague SMSed the news to me.

 

"Mr Ng is a humble officer, but as these things go, no one will know how far things are going until the investigations are completed."

 

Mr Ng was a local government merit scholar who rose through the ranks before becoming top detective as head of the Criminal Investigation Department and then CNB's director in February last year.

 

Mr Lim, an overseas government scholar, joined SCDF in 1987 and made his way to the top. DPM Teo says Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister-in-charge of the Civil Service Teo Chee Hean yesterday commented on the suspensions.

He said the Government takes a serious view of public officers "who misconduct themselves".

 

He said: "Any allegations of misconduct made against public officers will be investigated fully and thoroughly. We will be fair to officers who are the subject of allegations, establish the facts and follow due process, acting in accordance with civil service disciplinary processes and the law.

 

"If officers are found to have abused the trust placed in them, we will not hesitate to take firm and decisive action against them."

 

He also reaffirmed his confidence in SCDF and CNB officers, calling them honourable professionals who risked their lives on a daily basis to keep Singapore safe and secure.