SINGAPORE: The government is reviewing property purchases made between 2007 and 2011 by officers involved in rail planning to assess if there was “actual misconduct”, after a working paper alleged “informed trading by civil servants” who “disproportionately” bought homes near unannounced MRT stations.
The Public Service Division (PSD) said on Friday (Sep 25) that the statistical patterns in the paper were concerning, but “do not by themselves establish whether any individual officer actually had access to non-public information on MRT station locations at the relevant time, or whether such information influenced a property purchase”.
“For example, information or speculation about planned MRT lines and stations may already be in the public domain or used to market new property developments,” PSD said in a media release.
“An officer may have purchased a unit in such a development for reasons unrelated to any non-public information. These possibilities do not remove the need for scrutiny, but underscore why each transaction must be examined carefully before any conclusion is drawn.”
The review will cover property purchases between 2007 and 2011, which is the period highlighted in the paper, and where the properties were close to locations subsequently announced as MRT stations.
PSD said it would need time to retrieve the available records and examine the circumstances of each case as the transactions took place some time ago.
“If we find evidence that an officer used non-public information to make a property purchase for personal benefit, the case will be referred to the police for further investigation,” said the division, which sits under the Prime Minister’s Office.
PSD said on Sep 14 that it was reviewing the data and methodology within the paper, and would refer matters to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau “if there is a material basis to do so”.
RULES AND SAFEGUARDS
PSD said that the public service has long had rules and safeguards to prevent officers from using non-public information for personal benefit.
This includes a requirement for public officers to declare their property purchases, controls over access to sensitive information and established channels for reporting suspected wrongdoing.
These rules and safeguards have been strengthened over time, added PSD.
“Today, officers with non-public information that may be relevant to a proposed personal transaction – whether involving property, vehicles or financial instruments – must declare this and obtain approval before proceeding,” it said.
“The government expects all public officers to uphold the highest standards of integrity.
“Where there are grounds to suspect that an officer has misused non-public information for personal benefit, the matter will be investigated and appropriate action taken.
“At the same time, conclusions of wrongdoing must be based on evidence and the facts of each case.”