Cost of SMRT COI hearings amount to $10 million

[Confuseous]

The total cost of the Committee of Inquiry (COI) hearings have amounted to nearly $10 million, the Lianhe Zaobao reported on Friday.

The COI was set up to investigate the disruption of MRT train services on December 15 and 17 last year, which affected more than 200,000 people.

Over the course of six weeks, between April 16 and May 25, the COI heard in court the evidence of 116 witnesses, including ground staff, experts and former SMRT chief executive Saw Phaik Hwa.

According to a spokesperson from the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the total cost of the hearings is close $10 million.

The cost will be split between SMRT and the LTA, with SMRT paying $5.9 million, and LTA bearing the rest of the cost of about $4 million.

LTA's $4 million will be included in its expenses incurred for the 2011 to 2012 fiscal year, said the spokesperson.

The total sum of $10 million will go towards payment of lawyer fees as well as consultation fees for the panel of experts.

But the spokesperson stressed the importance of the COI however, and the need to engage a team of highly-qualified experts as well as lawyers.

After an eight-week inquiry, the COI found, among other issues, that the incidents were preventable.

In addition to the cost of the COI, train operator SMRT will also have to pay a fine of $2 million for the breakdowns.

The $2 million will be donated to the Public Transport Fund to help needy families with transport fares.

 

[Leongsam]

What a huge waste of money.

 

[GoldenDragon]

The causal factor was obvious. COI was wayang only.

 

[leetahbar]

it's not unusual they exaggerate on astronomical figures just to "prove" their integrity and all those fakeries.

are commuters suppose to admire their honorable deeds?

by the way, who are the ones who put singapore in such a pressurised condition?

 

[jw5]

Can get it back from this person: Saw Phaik Hwa

 

[Papsmearer]

The causal factor was obvious. COI was wayang only.

Wayang never mind, I don't careand I expect that, but a $10 million wayang is too much. Ultimately, this cost will be passed on to the riders of SMRT.

The real question is why do you even need lawyers at this stage? Its only a COI. Once u involve lawyers, your cost will be astronomical. How can u call 116 witnesses over only a 6 week period? Overkill isn't it? Another COI needs to be set up to look into the cost. U and I know how it became $10 million. Maybe I should explain to the readers how it happened.

Both SMRT and LTA came to the COI with the purpose of escaping with as little or no blame if possible. To this end, each of these fucktard agencies produced their own expensive consultants to support their respective positions. As well, they came with teams of lawyers to pick apart each others testimonies and to make sure their own consultants and staff did not say anything that would make them appear to be liable. Money was no expense to get all these consultants and lawyers. Hence, the bill escalades to $10 million. Don't forget, the fine was only $2 million. THEY COULD HAVE SCRAPED THE COI, AND JUST PAY THE FINE AND SAVE THEMSELVES $8 MILLION, and 6 weeks of wasted time. See how rediculous this situation is. These 2 fucking GLCs run by scholars PAP fucktards who have no sense of money, will spend the taxpayer's money to cover their ass and save their face at all costs. Unfortunately, the whole govt, is rife with these kinds of assholes.

In reality, the faulty wiring that caused this was easily discovered by their in house engineers after the incidents. Its not difficult to trace where the wiring came from, check to make sure it meets specs, and talk to the contractor and the inspector to see if it was installed correctly, and you can already write COI report after ascertaining all this. No need to hire all these experts and lawyers. In the end, everyone knows from day one that SMRT as the sole operator of the trains and the infrastrcuture is to blame. Its much cheaper to fire all the lawyers and accept blame right from the start. I mean seriously, why even bring back Saw Phaik Hwa to testify? Did she install the wiring herself? I am sure she did not testify for free, she had to be paid to show up at the COI. Gay Loong has lost control of the govt. long ago.

 

[laksaboy]

What a huge waste of money.

Still not as wasteful as spending $400K to rename Marina Bay... Marina Bay.

Nothing thus far has topped that idiocy.