Defence lawyer calls for acquittal of Ng Boon Gay

SINGAPORE : The defence counsel has asked the court to drop the charges against former Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) chief Ng Boon Gay, saying there is no case to answer.

This came after the prosecution wrapped up its case in the corruption trial on Friday.

Ng, 46, is charged with obtaining sexual gratification from IT sales executive Cecilia Sue on four occasions in 2011, in exchange for furthering her employers’ business interests.

In his submissions, defence counsel Tan Chee Meng said the prosecution’s case is riddled with problems.

He said it is a state "that does not require rebuttal" as "it simply cannot form the basis of any conviction".

The problem lies with the evidence of the key prosecution witness, Ms Sue, which he said is "fraught with inconsistencies" and is not credible.

Another stems from Ms Sue’s evidence that Ng never obtained the sexual gratification he wanted from her.

And if no gratification was given, how could there have been any corruption?

Mr Tan pointed out that evidence introduced so far showed that when the business interests of Oracle Singapore could have been furthered, no favour was asked of or expected by Ms Sue of Ng.

As for Hitachi Data Systems, the defence said the decision to use its product was made in March 2011, with all proper processes followed.

And there was no suggestion of impropriety on the part of Ng.

The defence said that all these made the prosecution’s case "undesirably weak", and the only evidence regarding corruption is so "manifestly unreliable" that the court should dismiss the charges against Ng.

The prosecution has asked the court for more time to come up with a detailed written response to the defence’s submissions.

It also raised two other points. The first is that according to the defence’s submissions, sexual gratification is not gratification if it is not satisfying. In that same line of argument, the prosecution then said that the corrupt acceptance of an expensive meal is not corruption, if it is not satisfying.

The prosecution also said that the defence is attempting to re—write the law and said that it will address this in its submissions.

The trial resumes on November 19.

— CNA/jc/ms