Singapore has referred the cases of eight civil servants to the police following an investigation into suspicions they used inside information to buy real estate near planned Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations. The announcement was made on Tuesday by Chan Chun Sing, Minister for Public Service, after a study by a US-based research institute found that civil servants showed unusually high rates of property purchases near future MRT stations.
Speaking in Parliament, Chan said the government had identified eight individuals requiring further review after examining property transactions involving 191 civil servants. "It should be stated clearly that the referral does not mean that any wrongdoing has been established," he stressed. "The police will independently examine the facts and due process will be followed."
According to Chan, the government takes the misuse of government information seriously and will act "decisively" in any case where wrongdoing is found. "The basic principle is very clear: civil servants must never use information obtained through their official duties to benefit themselves or others," he said.
The announcement follows last month's publication of research by the National Bureau of Economic Research (US), which found that Singapore civil servants were 60% more likely to buy homes in areas with planned but unannounced MRT stations. The study, conducted by economists from Stanford University, Columbia University and the University of Hong Kong, found that the transactions were concentrated among mid-level officials involved in public transport planning, and generated "significant" financial gains for those involved.
Singapore has long prided itself on being a leader in clean governance and has declared zero tolerance for corruption. Last year, the island nation's public sector ranked third in Transparency International's annual Corruption Perceptions Index, behind Denmark and Finland.
In 2024, a Singapore court sentenced former Transport Minister S Iswaran to 12 months in prison for obstructing justice and accepting gifts worth more than US$300,000 while in office. It was the first prosecution of a Singapore cabinet member since 1975, when former Environment Minister Wee Toon Boon was found to have accepted bribes from a local businessman. In 1986, National Development Minister Teh Cheang Wan was investigated by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau but died before being charged.
