Josephine Teo waives S$1,000 donation demand over corruption allegations

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Singapore — Manpower Minister Josephine Teo has agreed to waive the S$1,000 she had required Facebook user Donald Liew to donate to a migrant worker fund for making allegations of corruption against her and her husband, according to a statement from his lawyers on Friday (May 22).

Mr Liew was unable to make the donation due to his personal circumstance.

Mrs Teo has also offered to assist the Singaporean with his personal circumstances, according to the statement.

Mrs Teo had earlier got her lawyers to send letters of demand to Mr Liew and activist Jolovan Wham to withdraw and apologise for allegations of corruption and profiteering they had made against her and her husband.

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Both Mr Wham and Mr Liew had shared posts suggesting that Mrs Teo was involved in the Government’s decision to commission Surbana Jurong Pte Ltd to develop Covid-19 care facilities, since her husband, Mr Teo Eng Cheong, is the CEO (International) of the firm.

Mrs Teo refuted the allegations, in a statement issued by the law firm of Allen & Gledhill on her behalf on Wednesday (May 20). Calling the claims “untrue, scurrilous and completely baseless” ,she asserted: “Neither my spouse nor I have any involvement with the commissioning of these projects or the monetary transactions.”

The minister had added that she would not claim damages or pursue the matter further if the claims were withdrawn and if she received apologies from the two men:

“I understand that I am legally entitled to substantial damages for these serious and baseless allegations. However, I do not intend to pursue the matter further, or to claim damages, if the allegations are publicly withdrawn, and apologies given. This has been made clear in my lawyers’ letters.”

While she did not intend to claim damages, the minister had asked both men to donate S$1,000 each to the Migrant Workers’ Assistance Fund.

Both men later publicly apologised and withdrew the allegations, undertaking not to publish similar claims in future. Mr Wham made the donation.

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