S'pore supplier in Apple case

[Yuan Shao]

Aug 16, 2010

S'pore supplier in Apple case

He allegedly offered money to Apple Inc employee in exchange for vital information

<!-- by line --> By Ted Chen
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A SUPPLIER of Apple products in Singapore has been suspected of giving kickbacks to an employee of California-based Apple Inc - in order to gain information vital to the securing of future contracts. According to the United States federal grand jury indictment, Singapore resident Andrew Ang served as a middleman for Apple's Paul Shin Devine and Jin Li Mould Manufacturing, offering money to Devine in exchange for information that could prove useful to Jin Li in negotiating contracts with Apple.

Singapore-based Jin Li builds moulds for consumer electronic products, such as accessories for Apple's iPod portable music player. Mr Ang, who is a former employee of Jin Li, also allegedly had a deal with Devine to share the US$1 million (S$1.4 million) received in kickbacks. Apart from Jin Li, Mr Ang is also suspected of linking Devine with other suppliers to be part of the scheme. From the federal indictment and another civil suit by Apple, Devine has been charged with wire fraud, money laundering, unlawful monetary transactions and violating anti-racketeering laws.

 

[Yuan Shao]

Apple employee 'sold secrets'


Aug 16, 2010
Apple employee 'sold secrets'

<!-- by line --> <!-- end by line --> WASHINGTON - AN APPLE employee has been charged with selling secrets to Asian suppliers of the tech giant in exchange for at least US$1 million (S$1.36 million) in kickbacks, The Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday. Paul Shin Devine, an Apple global supply manager, was charged in a federal grand-jury indictment in the United States 'with offences that include wire fraud, money laundering and unlawful monetary transactions,' starting in 2006, the Journal reported online.

'Devine came up with a scheme in which he supplied companies such as Cresyn Co in South Korea, Kaedar Electronics Co in China and Jin Li Mould Manufacturing Pte Ltd in Singapore with confidential information that would let them negotiate favourable contracts with Apple,' the report said. 'The indictment and civil suit claim that in return, Mr Devine demanded payments, which were sent to bank accounts in his wife's name in amounts that were small enough to avoid attention,' it added.

Devine 'shared part of the money with Mr Ang, who was an employee of Jin Li, and helped broker deals with Jin Li as well as others, according to the indictment and civil suit,' the report said. The indictment names Andrew Ang, who worked for an Apple supplier, as accused of wire fraud and conspiracy, the Journal report added. -- AFP