Woman at centre of ex-SCDF chief's corruption trial takes the stand
By Claire Huang | Posted: 18 March 2013 2226 hrs
Ms Pang Chor Mui, the woman at the centre of Peter Lim's corruption trial arrives in court with escorts. (Photo: Lim Wee Leng)
SINGAPORE: The woman at the centre of the corruption trial of the former head of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Peter Lim Sin Pang, told the court that he had called to ask if her company carried radiation portal monitors shortly before a government tender was called.
Fifty-two-year-old Peter Lim is accused of obtaining sexual favour from 49-year-old Mdm Pang, in exchange for advancing her company's - Nimrod Engineering- business interests.
But the prosecution said there are nine parts of Mdm Pang's evidence that are inconsistent with her statements to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
So they have applied to cross-examine their key witness, Mdm Pang.
Such a move by the prosecution usually leads to the impeachment of its witness' credibility.
With impeachment, the judge will have to decide at the close of trial, which evidence and statement to be taken into consideration.
Mdm Pang arrived in court on Monday morning, accompanied by her own escorts.
The mother-of-one recounted how she first met Peter Lim in 1996 at a work conference. She said they kept in contact mostly via what she called "playful" text messages.
When asked to elaborate and give examples, she said she could not recall but described them as "light-hearted banter".
From 2006 to 2009, when Mdm Pang was with Nimrod Engineering, the two met for about three lunches.
At the end of 2009, Nimrod was awarded an SCDF contract, which was not the contract involved in the charge against Lim.
Mdm Pang testified that it was the first SCDF contract the firm had landed since she joined the company in 2006.
When she was told of the project, she sent Lim a "thank you" message.
Mdm Pang said she had sent the message out of courtesy.
She added she did not think Lim would have been involved in approving the S$13,000 contract, which she described as "small".
Previously, the court heard Lim had signed off on the contract.
The divorcee went on to describe her first sexual encounter with Lim in May 2010.
He had been drinking and had called her to give him a lift home as she had previously made such an offer.
The sexual encounter occurred after she sent Lim to his home in Tanjong Rhu.
She parked along a road, which was a short distance away from his condominium, and started chatting with him.
Saying one thing led to another, Mdm Pang said she liked Lim a lot and went on to perform oral sex on him.
The prosecution's case is that Lim tipped off Nimrod Engineering about SCDF's need for walk-through radiation portal monitors (RPMs), even before the information was made public.
SCDF had called for an open tender in April 2011.
The tender was published on the government e-procurement website GeBiz on April 6, 2011.
A few weeks after the March 2011 Fukushima disaster, Mdm Pang said Lim called her up and asked if Nimrod carried any machines that screened radiation.
She asked what he was looking for and Lim said just a basic unit. No other details were given.
Then Mdm Pang instructed her colleague to look for a basic machine.
In late April, she had a discussion with the managing director of Nimrod, Tamil Selvan, who decided to bid for the project.
During the discussion, Mdm Pang said she was reluctant to bid for the project as there were many considerations, such as the maintenance of the machines for 10 years and having to train people to operate the machines.
But as Mr Selvan decided to go for it, Nimrod put in a bid at the eleventh hour.
But Mdm Pang said SCDF cancelled the tender in July and put up another one in November.
The court also heard the prosecution alleging that the affair between Lim and Mdm Pang did not continue, because of her "intimate and non-sexual friendship" with Mr Selvan.
No other detail on this was mentioned in court.
The trial continues.
- CNA/ck
