Lim Cheng Hoe, a senior official at Singapore’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has been suspended and is under investigation over allegations of corruption, reports the Wall Street Journal.
Mr. Lim, chief of protocol at the ministry, allegedly spent improper expenses during his overseas visits. He has served in the MFA for 38 years.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau charged two high-ranking civil servants with separate cases as part of the high-profile corruption crackdown. Peter Lim and Ng Boon Gay, the former head of Singapore’s Civil Defence Force and former director of the Central Narcotics Bureau respectively, were charged with corruption cases for accepting sexual bribes in exchange for government contracts. Further details on Lim Cheng Hoe’s case were not fully disclosed as investigations are ongoing.
Singapore is the fifth least corrupt country in the world, according to Transparency International in Berlin. Singapore has been dubbed as a “transparent and efficient place to do business”. Millionaires are flocking to Singapore because of its attractive tax environment which their businesses can benefit from, Wall Street Journal reports.
