Former A*STAR employee charged with corruption

A former employee of the Institute of Microelectronics, under the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), was charged in court on Wednesday (Dec 16) with corruption.

Yu Jiarong, a former facilities engineer, is accused of 18 counts of corruptly obtaining gratification amounting to S$202,430 from three people, in return for furthering the business interests of several engineering companies.

The 37-year-old allegedly collected this sum over about two years, from December 2011 to November 2013, receiving between S$2,250 and S$49,700 on each occasion.

In court on Wednesday, Yu requested "for the investigation to be expedited", as it has been ongoing for two years. Channel NewsAsia understands that Yu is expected to face additional charges. 

Yu also told the court that he is innocent, and requested his bail amount "be low". Bail was granted at S$200,000 and Yu will next appear in court on Dec 30. 

If found guilty, Yu could be jailed up to five years and fined up to S$100,000 on each charge.