Prosecution will not appeal ex-CNB chief Ng Boon Gay’s acquittal

The Singapore government will not appeal a court decision acquitting former Central Narcotics Bureau chief Ng Boon Gay of corruption in a sex-for-contracts case.
 
In a statement released on Tuesday by the Attorney-General's Chambers, prosecution lawyers said that they had decided against filing an appeal after carefully considering the grounds of District Judge Siva Shanmugam's decision on Ng's case earlier this year.

"Where the facts of this case were concerned, the learned District Judge's grounds of decision stressed his reliance on his personal assessment of the witnesses and their credibility," the statement said. "In this regard, none of (his) findings of fact are of a nature that would in our view necessitate an appeal."
 
The conclusion of the criminal case now paves the way for civil service disciplinary proceedings to continue after they were halted pending the outcome of Ng's graft trial.
 
When asked, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Home Affairs, which oversees the anti-narcotics agency, confirmed that the process has resumed, adding that Ng will be given the opportunity to make his case before a decision is made based on relevant facts.
 
Ng was in February acquitted of four charges of receiving fellatio from former IT executive Cecilia Sue, with whom he was revealed to have had a three-and-a-half year affair between 2009 and end-2011, in exchange for allegedly favouring the business interests of her employers in software deals.
 
In his judgment, District Judge Siva said Sue was an untruthful witness who lied to protect her own interests, while Ng, in contrast, was a credible, consistent and forthright witness who came clean with his exploits from his first day on the stand.

Related stories:
Ng Boon Gay trial adjourns
Prosecution attacks credibility of Ng Boon Gay as witness
Prosecution grills Ng on contracts
CPIB officer threatened to 'drag my family through the mud': Ng
Sue admits she was not truthful to CPIB