Two Indian workers in Singapore have been fined SGD 24,000 each for taking bribes in 2020 while working for a food distribution firm here. Maheswaran M. Ratinasavapathy, 27 and Renitha Muraleedharan, 31, ex-employees of Sonnamera, a food distribution firm, each pleaded guilty to three graft charges on Thursday, The Straits Times newspaper reported on Thursday.
Ratinasavapathy, then a warehouse supervisor, received bribes totalling around SGD 6,800 from Hema Suthan Nair Achuthannayar, a director at Inspiro, a manpower contracting services company, in exchange for recommending the latter's firm to Sonnamera. In July 2019, Ratinasavapathy shared with Muraleedharanan, an account/administrative executive at the time of the offences, his plans to recommend Achuthannayar’s company to supply manpower to Sonnamera in exchange for commissions.
According to the prosecutor, Muraleedharan did not raise any objections. Ratinasavapathy received bribes totalling around SGD 6,800 in 2020 and gave Muraleedharan her share of commissions, totalling around SGD 3,400 The court fined the duo SGD 24,000 each, the report said. Ratinasavapathy, who has repaid SGD 2,600 to Sonnamera, was also ordered to pay a penalty of SGD 829, while Muraleedharan, who has not repaid the firm, must pay a fine of SGD 3,379.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim said that Achuthannayar, who left for Malaysia in March 2020 before the Covid-19 circuit breaker was imposed in Singapore, is still at large.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau received information about the case in January 2021.
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