SINGAPORE: A site supervisor tasked with overseeing a plot of land in Tuas South Way for his company allowed another man to dump waste material on it.
He did so after the man promised to pay him S$50 for every truckload of waste dumped.
His company eventually discovered the dumping after Hossain Toufik allowed the man to deposit 10 truckloads of waste over two days.
On Friday (June 19), Hossain, 34, was sentenced to three days’ jail after he pleaded guilty to one charge of corruptly agreeing to accept gratification from another person.
The court heard that Hossain had been employed by Koh Civil Engineering as a site supervisor at the time of the offence.
Part of his job scope included supervising workers at a temporarily occupied land in Tuas South Way, which was used as a staging ground to store materials for the construction of an integrated waste management facility for the National Environment Agency.
He was also responsible for arranging the segregation and stockpiling of materials transported to the site and ensuring that only materials from the company constructing the waste facility were stored there.
On June 21, 2024, Kee Yuet Ting, 40, the director of KYT Transport, was driving around the Tuas area looking for a place to dispose of chicken compost he had collected.
After spotting Hossain, Kee approached him and asked if he could dump the waste at the site Hossain was overseeing in exchange for $50 per truckload.
The court heard that the material smelled extremely foul.
Hossain initially rejected Kee’s proposal but was eventually persuaded to agree. On June 22, 2024, Kee arranged for six lorry loads of the chicken compost to be disposed of at the site.
Hossain then operated an excavator to dig up a pit for the waste to be buried before covering it with fresh sand.
On June 23, 2024, Kee arranged for four more lorries to dispose of the waste material at the site.
As the third lorry was unloading its waste, the company that had subcontracted Koh Civil Engineering to look after the site became aware of his actions.
It was not disclosed how the company came to realise what was happening.
Hossain then contacted Kee and asked him to return to the site to remove the waste material that had been dumped there.
Kee, who is facing one charge of corruptly agreeing to give Hossain gratification under their arrangement, will return to court on June 26. - The Straits Times/ANN
