4 chefs from well-known hotels charged with corruption

The Jakarta Post, Khushwant Singh, Asia News Network (The Straits Times),Fri, 06/08/2012

(Singapore) - Four chefs among the 19 said to have accepted nearly $1 million in kickbacks from a seafood supplier were charged on Friday with corruption.

All four men were cooking for Chinese restaurants of well-known hotels here and are believed to have ordered seafood delicacies like shark's fins only from Wealthy Seafood Product and Enterprise from 2006 to 2009.

Tan Ah Teng, 46, of Goodwood Park Hotel, is accused of accepting $193,322 from Tay Ee Tiong, the former proprietor of the Bedok-based seafood supplier.

Tan, who remained as a chef of the hotel's Min Jiang restaurant, faces 20 charges.

Chik Ka Chung of Wan Hao restaurant in Marriot Hotel resigned when the case against Tay, 55, made headlines in 2011.

He faces 21 charges and is accused of accepting $177,704 in kickbacks.

Yang Lai Fatt, formerly with Meritus Mandarin, was charged on 15 counts of corruption and is said to have accepted $128,405.

Goh Wooi Cheat, 48, formerly the chef of Summer Palace of Regent Hotel, is said to have received $158,818 from Tay. He faces 14 corruption charges.

He is presently an executive chef at Grand Hyatt Beijing and was given permission by the court to travel there.

Pre-trial conferences for all four cases will be held on July 19.

In September 2011, Tay was jailed for 18 months.

He had pleaded guilty to paying bribes totalling $992,404 to 19 chefs from 17 hotels and restaurants, to induce them to continue ordering seafood products from Wealthy.