A transport company director in Singapore was sentenced to five days in jail on October 15, after attempting to bribe a site manager $50 per trip to illegally dump 10 lorry loads of foul-smelling chicken compost in Tuas, The Straits Times reported.
Transport Director Paid for Unauthorised Dumping in Tuas
Kee Yuet Ting, the 40-year-old director of KYT Transport, pleaded guilty to a corruption charge. On June 21, 2024, Kee collected chicken compost from two egg farms with the initial intention of offering the material to a vegetable farm. When that farm declined the delivery, Kee began driving around Tuas to find an alternative disposal location.
Kee eventually located a storage site used for construction materials for a National Environment Agency (NEA) waste management facility. He approached the site manager and offered a bribe of $50 for each lorry load of the extremely foul-smelling chicken compost deposited on the property. Although the site manager initially refused the arrangement, he eventually agreed following repeated requests from Kee.
Lorry Deliveries and Subsequent Discovery
On June 22, 2024, Kee arranged for the delivery of six lorry loads of chicken compost to the site. The site manager used an excavator to dig a pit for the waste, covering the material afterward with fresh sand. Kee arranged for another four lorries to the location on June 23, 2024.
The illegal dumping scheme unraveled during the delivery of the third lorry on the second day, when the engineering company that leased the site discovered the unauthorized activity. The site manager contacted Kee, who halted the fourth lorry and sent several vehicles back to the location to collect the chicken compost. National Environment Agency officers inspected the area on June 26, 2024, but were unable to collect any of the compost because the material had already been removed.
Penalties and Legal Consequences
Kee ultimately did not pay the site manager the agreed bribe. The site manager involved in the scheme was convicted and jailed in June. Under Singapore’s corruption laws, Kee could have been jailed for up to five years and fined $100,000.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Tuas Dumping Case
What penalties did Kee Yuet Ting face in court?
Kee received a sentence of five days in jail on Oct 15, after pleading guilty to a corruption charge related to the illegal waste dumping scheme.
How much was the offered bribe per lorry load?
Kee offered the site manager $50 for each lorry load of chicken compost illegally disposed of at the Tuas construction materials storage area.
When did environmental officers inspect the site?
National Environment Agency officers inspected the area on June 26, 2024, but found that the compost had already been removed.
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