Ex-CNB chief Ng Boon Gay's corruption trial wraps up after 14 days

by Claire Huang

After 14 days of hearing, the corruption trial of former Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay, has ended.

But not before the prosecution mounted more attempts to raise doubts about Ng's credibility.

46-year-old Ng, is accused of forcing 36-year-old Cecilia Sue to perform oral sex, in exchange for helping to further her employers' business interests.

Ms Sue was employed by Hitachi Data Systems and Oracle Singapore as an IT sales representative at the time of the alleged offences.

Ng Boon Gay can now take a breather after five gruelling days on the stand.

Having made seven applications to impeach Ng's credibility on Thursday, lead prosecutor Tan Ken Hwee made another three applications this morning.

The first - over evidence submitted by Ng who said he did not know Hitachi supplied CNB's data storage system.

Second, that Ng did not know the main contractor had appointed Hitachi as a sub-contractor.

And third - over statements about Ng's sexual relationship with Cecilia Sue between August 2010 and July 2011.

DPP Tan accused Ng of lying to the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau.

And insisted Ng had known that Hitachi was the sub-contractor for a CNB IT project but told CPIB that he didn't.

Ng denied this.

DPP Tan said Ng had told the court he knew that Hitachi was involved in phase one of the project.

The court was told it was natural progression for Hitachi to be involved in phase two of the project.

So, it was only logical that Ng would have known that Hitachi would be involved.

In court today, Ng explained that he did not know because it was up to the main contractor to decide if it would appoint Hitachi as a direct sub-contractor.

DPP Tan then accused Ng of embellishing and fabricating his sexual relationship with Ms Sue, to support his version of the affair -that it started from 2009 to December 2011.

Ng disagreed.

The Defence, led by Senior Counsel Tan Chee Meng (ENEWS: rose to object to the DPP Tan's applications several times, saying he failed to see the material inconsistencies suggested by prosecution. He) then re-examined Ng on a few key issues. 

One - the prosecution's proposition that Ms Sue performed oral sex on Ng as he was an important client. 

To this, Ng said she "would never do such a thing for such a purpose". 

Ng also refuted the suggestion that he embellished his sexual encounters with Ms Sue, saying they only avoided sex during her pregnancy.

Ng told the court he met Ms Sue routinely for meals and sometimes had sexual intimacy thereafter. 

He also insisted there was no conflict of interest when he approved the IT projects. 

Reading a CPIB statement, defence counsel Tan asked Ng who was the one who raised the issue of a sub-contract to Hitachi.

Ng replied it was the investigating officer.

Oracle's Human Resource Director, Sharon Yan, also took to the stand in the afternoon.

She testified that she sent an email to the legal team in June this year after her interview with Ms Sue regarding the allegations.

Now that the defence has wrapped up its case, written submissions are expected from both parties in mid-January.

And in late January, the two sides are expected to come back to court to give a summary of their cases.