According to the corruption trial for Ang Mo Kio GRC town council, former town council manager Victor Wong Chee Meng abused his powers to award his friends about S$23 million worth of government tenders. In return, Victor Wong accepted bribes – mostly spent on prostitution, a China mistress and alcohol – amounting to more than S$107,000 in the two years from Dec 2014 to Sep 2016.
Throughout the two years, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was said to be unaware of the shady dealings in his town council. The matter only came to light when an anonymous report was made to the corruption bureau in Sep 2016.
Victor Wong’s corruptions went undiscovered for years as he was both the general manager of the town council and an employee of its managing agent, CPG Facilities Management. This gives Victor Wong the power to award contracts to his cronies and friends, who in return rewarded him with lucrative bribes. This corrupt practice of having a single person controlling the contract issuer and contract bidder is a norm in all PAP town councils.
The former Ang Mo Kio GRC Town Council manager was previously paid S$10,550 a month, but Victor Wong became corrupted regardless of the high pay.