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Former Minister of State on Corruption Trial

Minister of State with the Environment Ministry (Singapore), Wee Toon Boon faces five charges of corruption. The trial began with an account of how he allegedly used his influence as Minister of State to help a businessman.

Wee was alleged with intervention to obtain permanent residence for an Indonesian Chinese businessman Lauw Tiin Ho and his family and had 107 graves exhumed to make way for Laus's housing project at Jalan Binchang.

The Court also heard that Wee helped Lauw to obtain planning approval and a developer's licence to go ahead with the project before the government announcement of its policy of promoting condominium housing could make things difficult.

The prosecution alleged that Wee accepted a bungalow which, together with the land on which it stands, was estimated to be worth $532,000 in 1973, as a gift from Lauw for all his help to the businessman and his family.