Jail for NLB exec who took $140k in bribes from 2 firms’ directors

A National Library Board (NLB) assistant director corruptly obtained bribes totalling $140,000 from the directors of two different firms between 2018 and 2020.

- Shaffiq Alkhatib Court Correspondent

Adrian Chan Siew Leng, who was facing financial difficulties because of loans and his divorce, committed the offences in exchange for advancing the firms’ interests with the NLB.

Chan also worked with one of the directors to cheat the board into paying an additional sum of $246,100 to one of the firms, Broadcast Engineering Services (BES), which provided media entertainment technology solutions.

On Sept 17, the 50-year-old Singaporean was sentenced to two years, 10 months and 10 weeks’ jail.

He was also ordered to pay a penalty of more than $103,000 and will have to spend an additional 103 days behind bars should he fail to settle the amount.

He had pleaded guilty to six charges for offences including cheating and graft. Six other charges, including those linked to the remaining amount, were considered during his sentencing.

The NLB suspended Chan from his duties in June 2020 when it was notified of an investigation into his case.

In 2018 and 2019, Chan obtained $90,000 in bribes from Francis Lim Boon Hor, 51, who was a director at BES at the time, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Pei Wei.