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  1. Keppel chose to pay S$570m instead of facing the bribery probe... hmm... Keppel Offshore & Marine pays S$570m to resolve Petrobras bribery probes https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/keppel-offshore-marine-pays-s570m-resolve-petrobras-bribery-probes
  2. ‘Biggest bribery scandal’: US, UK, Australia launch probe into mass oil industry corruption https://www.rt.com/news/337961-unaoil-corruption-scandal-investigation/ Among the biggest names implicated are Samsung; Hyundai; US weapons corporation Halliburton and its former subsidiary Kellogg, Brown & Root; Texas firm National Oilwell Varco; Singapore conglomerate Keppel; Norway’s Aker Kvaerner; Turkish joint venture GATE; and Italian oil giant Eni.
  3. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/competition-watchdog-to/2956254.html
  4. http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/se-asia/singaporean-legal-officer-in-1mdb-probe-faces-deportation so what's the story here ... did not really say what she did ... or why she is being deported ?
  5. news just out . . . . http://www.thesundaily.my/news/1109095 KUALA LUMPUR: Police said Thursday they had arrested seven people in connection with the murder of an Estonian model whose body was found on a resort island. Freelance model Regina Soosalu's body was discovered on a beach on Rawa island off the east coast last week. She was initially believed to have drowned - but police said on Wednesday they found wounds on her body and were investigating the case as murder. Johor Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Hasnan Hassan told AFP seven people had been arrested so far for questioning over her death but declined to comment further. Faris Waris of Tangerine Models said his agency had worked with Soosalu, who was in her 20s and had been in Malaysia on and off for about three years. "She is one of the top freelance models in the country. We are shocked," he told AFP. Her boyfriend, with whom she had travelled to the island, is a member of the Johor royalty. Police are also investigating the death of a British tourist whose body was found last month on Tioman island, after he went missing on a jungle hike.
  6. http://www.straitstimes.com/breaking-news/singapore/story/keppel-shipyard-under-probe-mom-over-unpaid-wages-20140212 Keppel Shipyard under probe by MOM over unpaid wages Shipyard also responsible for workers hired by sub-contractor: Ministry Published on Feb 12, 2014 8:21 AM Workers from Akash Engineering being persuaded by Migrant Workers’ Centre executive director Bernard Menon (centre, white shirt) last month not to stage an illegal strike. The workers said they had not been paid salaries for up to 3 1/2 months.-- PHOTO: MIGRANT WORKERS’ CENTRE By Toh Yong Chuan Manpower Correspondent Keppel Shipyard is being probed by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) over claims that its sub-contractor owes wages to its workers. The Straits Times reported on Monday how 120 shipyard workers hired by Akash Engineering and Technology almost went on strike last month. They said their employer had not paid them salaries of up to 31/2 months. The employees - 100 Bangladeshis and 20 Indians - were talked out of their plans by the Migrant Workers' Centre. The MOM has since been investigating the sub-contractor for possible breaches of the Employment Act. Background story MINISTRY SAYS: Keppel Shipyard is also being investigated by MOM for possible infringement of its responsibilities as a sponsoring shipyard under the marine sector scheme. KEPPEL SAYS: Akash Engineering did not inform us of the full extent of the financial difficulties which they were facing. Kudos to MOM!!!! Kudos to MOM Minister Tan Chuan Jin Stand up for the poor and down and out workers!!! Swee lah!!!! to simi sub-con, pui!!!!!!!!!!!
  7. is this the first case that a willing settlement was rejected? one party admit and willing to pay, the other party suffer injury, but the judge dun see it that way!
  8. BRUSSELS: The European Commission has carried out surprise inspections at several major oil companies over possible price fixing in breach of EU anti-trust rules. The Commission did not name any of the companies involved in Tuesday's raids but British energy giant BP, Shell and Norway's Statoil said that their offices had been visited. The Commission statement explained that even small distortions of the market could have a "huge impact on the prices of crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels purchases and sales, potentially harming final consumers". In a statement, BP confirmed it "is one of the companies that is subject to an investigation ... We are cooperating fully with the investigation and unable to comment further at this time." A Shell spokesman said: "We can confirm that Shell companies are currently assisting the European Commission in an inquiry into trading activities. Norwegian firm Statoil and Platts, the world's leading oil price reporting agency, also both confirmed they were being investigated. "The suspected violations are related to the Platts' Market-On-Close (MOC) price assessment process, used to report prices in particular for crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels, and may have been ongoing since 2002," said Statoil, which is 67 per cent owned by the Norwegian government. The European Commission said officials "carried out unannounced inspections at the premises of several companies active in and providing services to the crude oil, refined oil products and biofuels sectors. "These inspections took place in two EU member states," a statement said, adding that one country in the European Economic Area (EEA) -- of which Norway is a member -- was also involved. "The Commission has concerns that the companies may have colluded ... to manipulate the published prices for a number of oil and biofuel products," it said. Additionally, the firms "may have prevented others from participating in the price assessment process, with a view to distorting published prices." British motoring groups and politicians lined up to voice their anger at the allegations. David Bizley, technical director of car services company RAC, said the claims were "worrying news for motorists" and vowed his company would campaign for greater transparency in the UK fuel market. Shadow energy and climate change secretary Caroline Flint called the reports "very concerning", which if true, suggested "shocking behaviour" in the oil market. "When the allegations of price fixing in the gas market were made, Labour warned that opaque deals and relying on price reporting agencies left the market vulnerable to abuse. "These latest allegations of price fixing in the oil market raise very similar questions," added the Labour MP. "Consumers need to know that the prices they pay for their energy or petrol are fair, transparent and not being manipulated by traders." Colleague Chris Leslie said any evidence of price fixing would be "a shocking scandal for our financial markets" while Conservative MP Robert Halfon repeated his calls for a full investigation into alleged cartels and market manipulation. "Last year, in a debate that I pressed for, parliament voted unanimously for an investigation into the oil market," he explained. "These latest allegations underline why that must happen urgently. "High oil prices are crushing families across Britain. Motorists are being taken for a very expensive ride." Britain's Office of Fair Trading (OFT) ruled out a probe four months ago, concluding there was "very limited evidence" that pump prices were being manipulated. Former Liberal Democrat treasury spokesman Matthew Oakeshott compared the allegations to the Libor scandal, which resulted in several banks paying out huge settlements over claims they manipulated the key interest rate. Larry Neal, the president of Platts, rejected similar accusations in a letter to the Financial Times earlier this week. "Your comparison of PRA (price reporting agency) activity to Libor is a false one," he said. "While PRAs do obtain information from 'traders who may have a vested interest in moving the markets,' the agencies do not have any such vested interest," he added. "In contrast, our role is providing market transparency." Source: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/busine...sib/675314.html
  9. http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews...425-418307.html
  10. Former teacher under probe for sex with male student who say SGrean not having enough heh-sho heh-sho why last time i skooling dun hav SINGAPORE - A former teacher from a top Secondary school is being investigated for allegedly having sex with an underage student, reported The Straits Times. The woman, who is in her 20s, is believed to have had sex with the boy more than once. The sexual encounters allegedly began when the boy, who is now 16, was a member of one of the school's sports teams. The woman was the teacher-in-charge of the team. The boy cannot be named as he is a minor, and the identity of the woman is also being withheld to protect his identity. The police confirmed that a report has been filed and investigations are ongoing. The case came to light after the boy's parents lodged a complaint to the school. (SABO!!!!!) The Straits Times reported that the former humanities teacher had left the school abruptly in March. She was reportedly seen crying in school the day before she left. Those who knew the teacher described her as "patient, knowledgeable, and outgoing". A former student interviewed by The Straits Times expressed shock at the news, as she "always put students first and knew where to draw the line". The principal of the school declined comment, saying they have not been informed by police of the matter. A spokesperson from the Ministry of Education said it will "work with the school as well as the police to investigate the case as necessary". This is not the first case where a female teacher has been accused of having sex with an underage student. In 2009, a 32-year-old teacher became the first woman to be jailed for having sex with a 15-year-old student in the school. The mother of two had six trysts with the boy in holiday chalets and in her flat. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 months' jail. The Penal Code was amended in 2008 to make sex between an adult woman and boy below 16 a crime. [email protected]
  11. Global news Investigation unveils scale of match-fixing February 4, 2013 By ESPN staff An investigation has uncovered allegations of match-fixing in around 380 games across Europe. AP Europol said the joint investigation had also identified about 425 corrupt officials, players and serious criminals in 15 countries. The 380 matches included fixtures from World Cup and European Championship qualifying games, Champions League ties and top-flight league matches in several European countries. Speaking in The Hague on Monday, Europol director Rob Wainwright said the investigation uncovered "match-fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before". "This is the work of a suspected organised crime syndicate based in Asia and operated with criminal networks around Europe," he said. "It is clear to us this is the biggest-ever investigation into suspected match-fixing in Europe. "It has yielded major results which we think have uncovered a big problem for the integrity of football in Europe. We have uncovered an extensive criminal network." Wainwright said the investigation had uncovered
  12. :o :o River Valley High principal assisting in CPIB probe Posted: 19 December 2012 1838 hrs Click to enlarge Photos 1 of 1 inShare 26 SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education (MOE) has redeployed the principal of River Valley High School Mr Steven Koh Yong Chiah. This comes after MOE received information by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) that Mr Koh is assisting in its investigations. MOE has appointed Mrs Teo Khin Hiang as the new principal of River Valley High, with effect from 20 December 2012. Mrs Teo, 54, is an experienced senior education officer. She was the deputy director of the Programme Coordination Office in MOE HQ, and previously the principal of the Singapore Teachers' Academy for the Arts (STAR). Prior to her stint at STAR, she had held appointments as cluster superintendent and principal of three schools - Chua Chu Kang Secondary, Pasir Ris Crest Secondary and Commonwealth Secondary. A ministry spokesperson said MOE will work closely with Mrs Teo and her team at River Valley High to ensure that school activities and programmes continue to be carried out smoothly in the best interests of the students. MOE will be redeploying Mr Steven Koh to MOE HQ as principal (special projects). The spokesperson added that MOE is unable to comment further on the case, as investigations are ongoing. - CNA/ir http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1243583/1/.html
  13. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin...1208991/1/.html
  14. The woman behind the downfall of two home team chiefs may have been exposed. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) is currenly investigating the former chiefs of the Singaporea Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) for having an intimate relationship with a female IT procurement executive. Netizens may have finally exposed this mystery woman, in a photo circulating on the internet. The woman, named as Cecilia, appears to fit the description of the mystery woman, who was reported to be 36-year-old, tall, slim, vivacious, and with shoulder length hair. The woman in the photo is also indicated as "Formerly from Hitachi and IBM, and now with Oracle". While this appears to fit her profile as an IT executive, Oracle Singapore is one of the companies that had clarified in late January that none of its employees are involved in this case. There is no other information provided on the depicted woman and it remains to be confirmed whether she is indeed the mystery woman in the case involving the home team chiefs. http://staticc01.insing.com/images/c1/76/0.../pc_600x450.jpg From my reliable source, this cecilia indeed working in Oracle.
  15. With capital punishment, there is no turning back in the event of a wrongful conviction... Cannot imagine how Deluna's family is feeling right now. Hope he RIP. Having said that, I am still in favour of having the death penalty in our local system though I hope it is robust enough to ensure that no innocent party suffers. IIRC a guy was wrongly charged with murder with his brother in a robbery cum murder case in a HDB flat not too long ago but luckily his pro bono lawyer fought tooth and nail to clear his name and succeeded. His brother was, however, sentenced to death I think. From CNA: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp...1201353/1/.html Wrong man was executed in Texas, probe says Posted: 15 May 2012 1356 hrs
  16. SMRT Board names NTUC deputy to lead probe Rubbish!
  17. Any idea where I can get probe type pyrometer here? I can't seem to find locate any shop that sells this except at ebay.
  18. SAN FRANCISCO - Gizmodo said Monday that California police raided the home of an editor for the gadget blog who revealed details last week of a secret next-generation iPhone prototype. Gizmodo published excerpts from a search warrant that gave police permission to seize property from editor Jason Chen's home that was "used as the means of committing a felony" or "tends to show that a felony has been committed." The search warrant signed by a local judge specifically authorized the seizure of "printed documents, images and/or notations pertaining to the sale and/or purchase of the stolen iPhone prototype." Gizmodo last week said it purchased the iPhone prototype for US$5,000 from an unidentified person who found it in a California bar, where it had been lost by a 27-year-old Apple software engineer named Gray Powell. Chen said in a post on the Gizmodo website on Monday that he and his wife returned from having dinner out on Friday to find police searching their home in the northern California county of San Mateo. "The officers had a computer and were cataloging all the items they took from my home," Chen said. "They told me they were here for a few hours already and had to break the front door open because I wasn't home to open the door." The officers, members of the California Rapid Enforcement Allied Computer Team, took four computers and two computer servers from the couple's house, according to the posting. Gizmodo has said it returned the iPhone prototype to Apple after the notoriously secretive company asked for it back. Gizmodo also published a letter from a lawyer for its owner, Gawker Media, objecting to the raid on Chen's home and arguing that a "search warrant may not be validly issued to confiscate the property of a journalist." "We expect the immediate return of the materials that you confiscated from Mr. Chen," said the letter from Gaby Darbyshire, who is also Gawker's chief operating officer. Stephen Wagstaffe, spokesman for the San Mateo County District Attorney's office, confirmed Friday's raid and said Apple had contacted his office to report the crime. But he did not elaborate on investigation details. "The allegation was that there was a reasonable cause that a felony theft had occurred," he said. "This is the beginning of the investigation." Apple, which was not available for comment, is expected to unveil the next-generation iPhone this summer. Trumpeted as a major scoop, Gizmodo's bloggers said they returned the device to Apple after an official request came from Cupertino, but not before taking it apart and reporting on the device's details. According to a search warrant posted on gizmodo.com, the computers may contain photographs of Apple's "prototype 4G iPhone," as well as email pertaining to its purchase, call records, and research on Gray Powell, the Apple engineer who purportedly misplaced the device. In a letter to the police also published on gizmodo.com, Gawker's Chief Operating Officer and legal counsel Gaby Darbyshire asserted the search and seizure was illegal under California law, because Chen works as a journalist for the publication, protecting him from such action. According to Gizmodo, Powell, the Apple engineer, was celebrating his 27th birthday at a beer garden in Redwood City, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) from Apple headquarters in Cupertino, on the night of March 18. Gizmodo said Powell forgot the prototype phone, which had been disguised to resemble the previous model iPhone, the iPhone 3GS, on a bar stool when he left the establishment. Gizmodo said the phone ended up with a person who had been sitting next to Powell at the bar after no one else claimed it. "Weeks later, Gizmodo got it," the technology blog said. Nick Denton, founder of the Gawker blog network, said on his Twitter feed that US$5,000 (S$6,881.50) was paid for the phone. "Yes, we'll do anything for a story," Denton said. "We're proud practitioners of checkbook journalism." According to Gizmodo, features of the new phone, expected to be unveiled later this year, include a front-facing video camera for video chat, a flash and an improved regular cameraa with a larger lens. It also has a flat back instead of curved back, is thinner than the 3GS, is three grams heavier and has a battery that is 16 percent larger.
  19. 6 vehicle inspectors under probe for bribery Source: Straits Times IN WHAT is believed to be the first case of its kind in Singapore, anti-graft officers have hauled up vehicle inspectors suspected of accepting bribes in return for turning a blind eye to illegally modified cars. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) visited STA Inspection's Sin Ming Road branch on March 9 and questioned half a dozen of its employees. STA Inspection - part of the ST Engineering group - is one of three vehicle inspection companies running 10 inspection centres. The others are Vicom and JIC Inspection Services, which are not affected by the probe. Vehicle inspection has been mandatory in Singapore since 1981. Cars that are between three and 10 years old have to be inspected every two years to ensure their roadworthiness. Cars older than 10 years have to go for an-nual inspections. The STA inspectors are believed to have accepted bribes from workshops specialising in car modifications. These workshops, which often send customers' cars for inspection on their behalf for a fee, are believed to have bribed certain inspectors to ensure they would pass the modified vehicles. STA Inspection's general manager, Mr Teo Kee Jin, told The Straits Times that six employees at its Sin Ming branch were questioned by the CPIB. He said STA set up its own board of inquiry following the CPIB's visit. 'During the course of our own investigation, a decision was made to dismiss four of the employees, who admitted they had breached company policy. The two others have been suspended,' he said. Observers expect some, if not all, to wind up in court. The CPIB has refused to comment. The crackdown has sent ripples across the car workshop trade - especially those involved in modifications. Several workshops contacted refused to comment. 'Everybody is lying low right now,' said Mr Tony Tan, deputy editor of motoring magazine Torque. 'They're worried that they might be hauled up too. 'Even the car owners are worried.' Mr Tan, however, felt that though the Land Transport Authority (LTA) has relaxed the rules on modifications in recent years, the regulations are still out of step with the times. 'Many of the modified cars are safer than normal street cars,' he said. Mr Joey Lim, president of the Singapore Motor Workshop Association, concurred. 'The LTA is being too cautious,' he said. Among the rules the authority has relaxed in the last five years is one governing exhaust systems. Previously, there was a blanket ban on after-market exhaust systems. Now, those with proper certification are allowed. Last year, the authority took action against 2,510 motorists for making illegal modifications to their cars - 44 per cent more than in 2008, and possibly the highest in 10 years. Most cases are related to exhaust systems, tinted windows and lamps. In the wake of the CPIB probe, vehicle inspection firms are tightening processes. Mr Teo of STA Inspection said the company has enhanced what is 'basically a robust system'. 'We have implemented a number of changes, including randomly rotating inspectors across test lanes within the same centre, as well as rotating them across our three different centres. 'This increases the 'randomness' of customer-inspector contact,' he said. Vicom spokesman Tammy Tan said: 'We are currently fine-tuning our processes to make sure abuses...do not occur within our organisation.' The inspection business is estimated to generate a combined profit of $40 million a year for the three players.
  20. Oops, double post.
  21. http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/autos/chevy_cobalt/index.htm NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Some 905,000 Chevrolet Cobalts built between 2005 and 2009 are the subject of a preliminary evaluation by federal officials because of complaints that drivers may lose control of the electronic power steering system. In a filing on its Web site, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has received 1,132 complaints alleging the sudden loss of control of the compact car, with 754 of the complaints received in the past six months. Facebook Digg Twitter Buzz Up! Email Print Comment on this story NHTSA said there were 11 complaints that a sudden increase in steering effort led to a crash, with one injury attributed to the problem. "GM is cooperating with NHTSA in its preliminary evaluation of power steering in the 2005-2009 Chevrolet Cobalt," said Alan Adler, a spokesman for General Motors Corp., maker of the Chevy Cobalt, in a e-mail. Officials at NHTSA and the Department of Transportation said it's not their policy to comment on preliminary evaluations. NHTSA opens many preliminary evaluations each year, only some of which result in recalls.
  22. will this ever happen to ours? yeah right..... S Korea begins 'wide-ranging' probe of petrol stations on pricing South Korea's antitrust watchdog said Thursday it has opened a "wide-ranging" probe into alleged price collusion by retail outlets as part of government's efforts to curb rising retail oil products prices. "We launched investigations this week into suspected price collusion by some 200 major petrol stations across the country," the Fair Trade Commission said. The agency had conducted probes into pricing by oil stations along the highways in the past, but this is the first time that it is investigating almost all major retail outlets across the country. "There is the possibility that petrol stations have rigged prices of gasoline, diesel, LPG and other fuels," a regulator said. According to state-run Korea National Oil Corp., the country's average gasoline prices rose to Won 1,950/liter ($1.6/liter) in September, up from Won 1,290/liter late last year. Since last May, the country's oil refiners have been obliged to post the prices of products sold at their retail outlets as well as of those they supply to independent petrol stations. The government has also allowed stations to trade oil products from more than one refiner, a move aimed at boosting competition among refiners so as to reduce retail prices. In the past, petrol stations were permitted to sell only one brand of fuel based on a supply contract with one refiner. The antitrust agency also said it would strengthen monitoring of the country's four refiners to prevent possible price collusion, noting that SK Energy, GS Caltex, S-Oil and Hyundai Oilbank dominated the country's oil market with a combined 98.5% share. The agency also called on the government to relax regulations on oil product imports to ease the oligopoly in the country's oil market. In response, the government has been working to ease gasoline import rules to help bring down domestic prices. The series of moves came after President Lee Myung-Bak ordered his Cabinet to find out why domestic oil prices remained strong despite the recent pullback in international crude prices. The Fair Trade Commission also said it had completed its probe into local LPG providers and found they had rigged prices for the past six years. The providers include SK Energy's affiliate SK Gas, GS Caltex, S-Oil and E1, among others. "The FTC recently informed the LPG providers of the results of the probe and plans to impose fines on them next month," the agency said.
  23. Motor racing-F1 governing body opens race probe SPA-FRANCORCHAMPS, Belgium, Aug 30 - Formula One's governing body has opened an investigation into alleged events at a past grand prix, the International Automobile Federation said on Sunday. "The FIA can confirm an investigation is under way regarding alleged incidents at a previous Formula One world championship event," said a spokeswoman at the Belgian Grand Prix. No details were given about which race was being investigated and sources close to the governing body refused to divulge any details. Both the autosport.com and grandprix.com websites referred however to last year's Singapore Grand Prix won by Renault's Fernando Alonso. The double world champion won the sport's first floodlit race after Brazilian team mate Nelson Piquet, who has since parted from the team, crashed and brought out the safety car. Tsk tsk tsk . . . . I did mention something to this effect to my colleagues but they had laughed me off. That crash was like "ochestrated" Let's see the outcome of the investigation
  24. The Ministry of Home Affairs has responded to queries from the Workers' Party regarding the Committee of Inquiry's probe into Mas Selamat Kastari's escape from detention. According to the ministry, Deputy Prime Minister and Home Affairs Minister Wong Kan Seng has said that after the inquiry is completed, the public will get a full account of how Mas Selamat escaped and what has been done to tighten security to prevent a repeat of such incident. In a statement to the media, the chairman of the Workers' Party, Sylvia Lim, had asked if the public would be given full information as the committee was convened under the Prisons Act. She said under the Act, such inquiries are not open to the public and that no part of the proceedings may be released to anyone without the minister's written permission. - CNA/ac http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/sin.../334278/1/.html so we'll wait. till the day MAS is caught...
  25. now tat the ah du saga has quietened down, what next??? ANOTHER charity has come under probe. Ren Ci Hospital & Medicare Centre is being investigated by the Health Ministry for possible financial discrepancies, believed to have arisen from a few million dollars in interest-free loans to several companies in the past decade. The largest charity under the Health Ministry after the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Ren Ci will lose its Institution of Public Character (IPC) status on Nov 27, when it is due to be renewed. This means that it can accept donations, but donors will not get tax exemptions. Ren Ci will continue tending to its 120 nursing-home patients and 300 chronically sick patients at its facilities in Jalan Tan Tock Seng and Buangkok through the probe. Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan told The Straits Times last night that he believed in a 'firm, fair and transparent' approach to the probe. While an inquiry was called for because the transactions had not been 'well explained' by Ren Ci's management, he said 'we should not jump to any conclusion until the inquiry is completed. That will not be fair to the parties involved'. His ministry said yesterday that a review of the charity had turned up 'possible irregularities in certain financial transactions' involving Ren Ci and some external parties, and that an inquiry would clarify them. The Straits Times understands that several companies had been given loans, some amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars. But Ren Ci's books recorded loans that, in some cases, were several hundred thousand dollars more than what was reflected in the borrowers' books. These irregularities surfaced in the wake of the ministry tightening corporate governance among the charities under its wing last year, following the NKF scandal of 2005. In July last year, the ministry appointed accounting firm Ernst & Young to carry out a general review of the operations at its 12 largest IPCs, including Ren Ci. At the end of the review in February, Ren Ci was asked to split the role of board chairman and chief executive officer. Both positions were then held by Venerable Ming Yi, a colourful character who has performed death-defying stunts in the charity's popular annual televised fund-raisers. He has since become Ren Ci's honorary CEO. Mr Chua Thian Poh, chief executive of property developer Ho Bee Group, became the charity's chairman in September. The ministry next got Ernst & Young to delve deeper into Ren Ci's operations, which was when the loan discrepancies were uncovered. Yesterday, the ministry informed the Ren Ci board that a probe under the Charities Act would be convened. This is expected to take three months, after which the findings will be disclosed and 'appropriate measures' taken. Auditors were seen moving files into a room on the ground floor of the hospital's Buangkok premises just before 7pm yesterday. Venerable Ming Yi was seen on the premises, but declined to take calls to his cellphone. Mr Chua, contacted in China, where he is on a business trip, declined comment and referred The Straits Times to a statement put out by Ren Ci, which said: 'Ren Ci Hospital & Medicare Centre has a culture of strong corporate governance and transparency. When complaints are made, they will be fully investigated. 'We would like to reassure the public that the professional standards and services of Ren Ci will remain intact and the day-to-day operations and patient care will carry on undisrupted.' The charity employs more than 300 people and earned about $30 million last year - $9.5 million from donations, $10 million from grants and sponsorships, and $9.8 million from fund-raisers and other activities.
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