Man bribed Sats executive with $1,000 to overlook companies' issues
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
May 29, 2025
A man was holding directorships in two companies when he gave a bribe of $1,000 to a training, quality and projects executive at the Sats maintenance centre.
Virgil Joy Angelus, who was with EZ Aviation and Ports and EZ Technology at the time of the offence, handed the money to Leong Poh Keong to further the business interests of both firms with Sats.
On May 29, Virgil, 58, was fined $5,000 after he pleaded guilty to a graft charge.
Leong, 39, is no longer working for the main ground-handling and in-flight catering service provider at Changi Airport, and his case is pending.
Three people - Virgil, Dominic Quek Chun Hua and Lim Ban Hock - had handed him bribes in separate cases.
In June 2024, Quek was fined $30,000 while Lim was sentenced to two weeks' jail in February 2025.
At the time of the offences, Leong was working at the Sats maintenance centre, which supported the company's ground support equipment section. This section managed specialised vehicles on the airport tarmac, the court heard.
Among other things, he was also a member of a tender evaluation committee and was responsible for drafting bidding documents according to Sats' desired specifications for potential suppliers.
He had also acted as a liaison between potential bidders and members of the committee.
Some time between 2016 and 2017, Sats awarded EZ Technology a project to build a driving simulator. Leong and Virgil then liaised with each other.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Bryan Wong said that between 2017 and 2018, Sats awarded EZ Aviation and Ports a two-year contract to provide manpower involving Sats' refuelling operations.
Court documents stated that Leong worked with Virgil as he was involved in fuel management, and the two men started meeting for drinks.
On one occasion between 2019 and 2020, Leong approached Virgil for a loan of $1,000 as he had "run into financial difficulties".
DPP Wong said: "The accused, who was aware of Leong's supervisory role within Sats and involvement in Sats' internal tendering processes, agreed.
"The giving of the corrupt loan coincided with the period when (EZ Aviation and Ports) was contracted to provide... drivers to Sats for refuelling operations"
Investigations revealed that Leong would then try to reciprocate by overlooking infractions by companies linked to Virgil.
Court documents did not disclose how the offence came to light, but all four men were later charged in court in 2022.
For graft, an offender can be jailed for up to five years and fined up to $100,000.
