A high-ranking foreign ministry official has been suspended over allegations that he had filed improper expense claims for visits overseas.
Lim Cheng Hoe, Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was suspended on Tuesday and is being investigated by the police.
MFA has referred his case to the Commercial Affairs Department.
The Straits Times reported that Lim has not been arrested, and that Michael Tan Keng Siong is currently acting chief of protocol at MFA.
An MFA spokesman said in a statement to Yahoo! Singapore that the ministry had received information that he had made “improper claims for reimbursements” and were taking “all allegations of improper conduct seriously.”
The spokesman also said that the ministry is “very sad that this has happened” and that “Mr Lim has served MFA and Singapore very well for 38 years.”
“However, MFA expects its officers to uphold the highest standards of duty, integrity, and professionalism .. the law must take its course.”
As Chief of Protocol as MFA for the past decade, Mr Lim's duties included heading sections responsible for organising ministerial and presidential trips overseas.
He would also accompany top leadership on trips, and arranged state ceremonies and functions.
In 2009, Mr Lim received the Public Administration medal (silver).
Investigations are ongoing.
