NParks officer suspended over foldable bikes purchase

[Ruoxi]

NParks officer suspended over foldable bikes purchase

AsiaOne
Tuesday, Jul 24, 2012

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of National Development (MND) has completed the internal audit of the purchase of 26 foldable bicycles, which costs $2,200 each, by the National Parks Board (NParks).

MND said in a statement to the media on Tuesday that the NParks officer responsible for the transaction - which totalled to $57,200 - has been suspended from duty.

In a tender issued in January, NParks bought foldable Brompton bicycles for its officers to use on patrols.

The big price tag of the purchase subsequently raised some eyebrows, with many Singaporeans questioning if the bikes were too expensive.

In the inquiry, MND found that "the reasons for purchasing the foldable bikes to enhance work productivity of NParks field staff were valid", but "it had also uncovered some discrepancies which, although inconclusive by themselves, suggested the possibility of bias in the procurement."

As a result, the Ministry has decided that the discrepancies were significant and warrant further investigation.

Last month, an MND Internal Audit team was tasked by Minister Khaw Boon Wan to work with NParks to review the purchase with a view to ascertain its justification and to see if its procurement process could be improved.

In a blog post on July 4, Mr Khaw had defended the purchase of the bikes. When he asked NParks for the rationale for the purchase, the statutory board cited staff productivity as the main reason for the purchase: "Providing staff with bikes was thought to be a simple and effective way to raise staff productivity as it enables the officer to cover more ground and do more inspections within the same time."

NParks officers in the Park Connector Division cover between 30 to 40km in their daily rounds.

Mr Khaw added that a foldable bicycle was chosen because such bicycles "would eliminate the need for an office van to transport the bikes and the staff to the areas of their daily rounds". The NParks staff would also be able to carry them onto buses and trains where necessary.

He also said that Brompton was picked because only one vendor responded to the tender with a bid price lower than the listed retail price of the same bicycle.

While a Brompton bike costs more than foldable bicycles with similar specifications, Mr Khaw said cyclists told him the bike was durable and would require less maintenance after heavy usage.

He concluded: "It looks like NParks has bought the right equipment. However, it also looks like NParks might have gotten a better deal if there was greater participation in this quotation."

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[kingrant]

Again, without the vigilantes in the online fora like SBF and social media, such egregious and wanton expenditure will have gone covered up.

 

[Ruoxi]

Brompton bikes purchase reported to CPIB

AsiaOne
Wednesday, Jul 25, 2012

The purchase of 26 foldable Brompton bikes by the National Parks Board (NParks) has been reported to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).

The Straits Times reported that the Ministry of National Development (MND) confirmed to the paper that it reported the matter to the CPIB.

The officer in charge of the deal, assistant director of the Park Connector Network Mr Bernard Lim, has been suspended until further notice.

The ministry also said Mr Khaw Boon Wan had told a ministry internal audit team to work with NParks to review the purchase of the bicycles.

The amount spent of the purchase raised some eyebrows, with many Singaporeans questioning if the Brompton bikes, costing $2,200 each, were too expensive.

NParks had bought the foldable British-brand bikes for its officers to use on patrols.

Minister for National Development Khaw Boon Wan had earlier defended the purchase of the bicycles but called for an audit to be carried out last month to review the purchase to ascertain NParks' justification and to see if its procurement process could be improved.

The audit found that "the reasons for purchasing the foldable bikes to enhance work productivity of NParks field staff were valid", but "it had also uncovered some discrepancies which, although inconclusive by themselves, suggested the possibility of bias in the procurement."

 

[jennandrews]

Bromptons are ridiculously expensive. A Giant folding bike would set them back around US$350 each, and they are pretty darn good. Sure the Bromptons might last a long time, but how far are these guys really going to ride them?

One of those parks guys must love folding bikes.

 

[ZhuRong]

Brompton bikes case: Ex-NParks officer's $5,000 fine stands after appeals dismissed

Published on Nov 21, 2014 2:09 PM

Former NParks officer Bernard Lim Yong Soon was fined $5,000 for lying to auditors about his relationship with a bicycle firm director. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

By Selina Lum

SINGAPORE - The High Court on Friday dismissed an appeal by prosecutors seeking a jail term of three to four months for former National Parks Board (NParks) officer Bernard Lim Yong Soon, who was fined $5,000 for lying to auditors about his relationship with a bicycle firm director.

Justice Tay Yong Kwang also dismissed Lim's appeal against his conviction.

Lim, a former assistant director of NParks, was found guilty of giving false information to public servant after a district court trial in May. He was handed the maximum fine a month later. He was cleared of a second charge of instigating the other man to lie. The prosecution has dropped its appeal against the acquittal.

Lim had tipped off the owner of bicycle retailer Bikehop about an upcoming NParks tender for foldable bikes. Bikehop entered a bid to sell 26 Brompton bikes to NParks in January 2012. It was the sole bidder. In June 2012, the deal came under intense public scrutiny over the $2,200 price of each bicycle. When questioned by internal auditors about his relationship with Bikehop boss Lawrence Lim, Lim lied that they met each other for the first time only in March 2012.

On Friday, Lim's lawyer Lawrence Ang argued that Lim's conviction was "unsafe" as there were procedural lapses in the investigations, which caused him to suffer discrimination. On the other hand, Deputy Public Prosecutor Andre Jumabhoy argued that a deterrent jail term was warranted for Lim, given the public disquiet that arose.

But Justice Tay rejected this argument, saying that jail cannot be justified for someone who did not do anything to deserve it just because it caused a public outcry. "You have to look at the facts, not how much publicity is generated," he said.

The judge said he saw no need to disturb the district judge's decision in any way and dismissed the appeals of both sides.

 

[Hasbro]

Brompton bikes case: AGC asks court to clarify when jail warranted for lying offence

Published on Dec 8, 2014 7:12 PM

Former National Parks Board (NParks) assistant director Bernard Lim Yong Soon, who was fined the maximum $5,000 in June over the Brompton bikes case, leaving the State Courts on June 10, 2014. In the latest development in the case, the prosecution has asked Singapore's apex court to clarify when a jail term is warranted for lying to a public servant. -- PHOTO: ST FILE

By Ian Poh

SINGAPORE - In the latest development in the Brompton bikes case, the prosecution has asked Singapore's apex court to clarify when a jail term is warranted for lying to a public servant.

It has filed what is known as a criminal reference with the Court of Appeal, under which only points of law, rather than factual issues, are to be decided.

"The Attorney-General (V.K. Rajah) is of the view that it is in the public interest to clarify certain issues of sentencing law," a spokesman for the Attorney-General's Chambers said in a statement on Monday.

This was in light of "important questions of law" that had arisen during an appeal in the case of former National Parks Board (NParks) officer Bernard Lim Yong Soon, the spokesman said.

Lim had been fined the maximum $5,000 in June by a district court, which found him guilty of giving false information to a public servant after a nine-day trial.

Most recently on Nov 21, the High Court dismissed both the prosecution's appeal that Lim should be jailed for three to four months, as well as Lim's appeal against conviction.

In late 2011, Lim had tipped off the boss of bicycle retailer Bikehop about an upcoming NParks tender for foldable bikes.

Bikehop entered a bid to sell 26 Brompton bikes to NParks in January 2012. It was the sole bidder and it won the tender.

In June 2012, the deal came under intense public scrutiny over the $2,200 price of each bicycle.

When questioned by Ministry of National Development auditors about his relationship with Bikehop director Lawrence Lim, Lim lied that they met for the first time only in March 2012, after the tender was awarded.

But the truth was that the two first met at a night cycling event in September 2011, before NParks invited bids for the bikes.

In May, Lim was convicted of lying to the auditors but acquitted of a second charge of instigating the Bikehop boss to lie.

The prosecution dropped its appeal against the acquittal.

In the criminal reference filed on Monday, it also wants the court to make clear whether the existence of mitigating factors can justify not imposing imprisonment, once a sentencing court has decided jail is warranted.