Jail for man who bribed then SMU Academy associate director
Over five months, the director of a firm that provided marketing services made corrupt cash payments totalling $62,800 to an associate director at the Singapore Management University (SMU) Academy.
Cher Kheng Than from CJ Synergy (CJS), who was also the sole shareholder of the firm, handed the money to Christopher Tan Toh Nghee, 46, from around June to October 2019, the prosecution told the court.
He gave the bribes to ensure that CJS could continue to be a marketing partner of the academy, the training arm of the university, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Eugene Phua.
He added: “The accused committed serious offences solely for his own financial gain and profit, earning at least $126,200.”
On Feb 20, Cher, 46, was sentenced to a year in jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of graft involving $37,000 in total and one count of obstructing the course of justice.
Six other charges, including those linked to the remaining amount, were considered during sentencing.
He is the second person linked to the case to be dealt with in court.
In September 2023, Jeffery Long Chee Kin, 45, who used to work for another marketing services firm called Assetualize, was sentenced to 13 months’ jail, for making corrupt cash payments totalling $71,300 to Tan from February to November 2019.
The cases involving Tan, who is no longer working for SMU Academy, and a fourth man, Kenneth Lum Hsien Loong, 47, are pending.
DPP Phua said that Tan and Cher got to know each other when they were schoolmates at Temasek Junior College.
Some time between June and September 2018, the pair went to a gathering and reconnected.
At the time of the offences, Tan was a business development associate director at SMU Academy’s Service Operations and Business Improvement (Sobi) sub-department.
His job scope included overseeing revenue, sales and programme management for Sobi. The sub-department also engaged partners to assist in marketing its courses.
In December 2018, Tan suggested that Cher help him at SMU to develop a new course called Advanced Certificate in Entrepreneurship. Tan added that Cher could work for SMU Academy as a marketing partner under a commission-based structure.
In January 2019, Cher set up CJS for the sole purpose of working with SMU to provide marketing services.
Before starting work for SMU, Cher also had a discussion with Tan, Long and Lum. The prosecutor said that Cher found out that Tan was receiving a one-third cut of the commissions of another SMU Academy marketing partner.
DPP Phua told the court that Cher then decided to give the bribes to secure the business opportunity to be a marketing partner of SMU Academy.
According to court documents, on two occasions in late 2019, Cher gave Tan bribes totalling $37,000.
In July 2019, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) received a complaint that Tan had been soliciting kickbacks from multiple vendors which were involved with marketing SMU Academy courses under his charge.
Four months later, Cher found out from his mother that CPIB officers were looking for him. He spoke to Tan and learnt that CPIB officers had visited Tan’s home.
Soon after, Cher received a call from a CPIB investigation officer asking for his help in investigations.
On Nov 26, 2019, Cher intentionally obstructed the course of justice by performing actions that include deleting from his mobile phone an electronic note he maintained which contained records of monies he gave Tan earlier that year.
Cher and Tan were among a group of men who were later charged with graft-related offences in March 2021.
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