S'pore ministry in graft scandal

S'pore ministry in graft scandal

SINGAPORE (AFP): Singapore's Ministry of Defense (MINDEF) failed to report payments of up to S$1 billion (US$581 million) to the Auditor-General's office, The Straits Times reported on Wednesday.

The Auditor-General's report said MINDEF topped the list of ministries with nine cases of irregularities in its audit of the government's accounts for the year ended March 31.

The MINDEF audit showed that prices for 38 food items in a contract document were over-stated and some prices were 162 percent higher than those quoted by suppliers.

Other ministries also had payment lapses including the Ministry of Law which overpaid contractors $22,558 for clearing debris on state land.