Spanco chairman charged with cheating

KUALA LUMPUR - Spanco Sdn Bhd chairman Tan Sri Robert Tan Hua Choon was charged in the Sessions Court today with cheating the Finance Ministry to award his company a contract worth RM3.9 billion to manage the government's vehicle fleet.

Tan, 83, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out to him before Judge Suzana Hussin.

"I understand (the charge), I am not guilty," he said.

Tan is accused of deceiving the Finance Ministry by misleading the Tender Opening Committee for the tender titled ‘Request for Proposal for Supply, Repair, Maintenance and Management of Government of Malaysia Vehicle Fleet’, Public Private Partnership Unit under the ministry.

It was related to at least 30 per cent Bumiputera shareholding in Spanco through a document titled 'Appendix IV (Annex i) Bidder's Profile', and thereby Tan was allegedly dishonestly influenced the Finance Ministry to award the ‘Supply, Repair, Maintenance and Management of Government of Malaysia Vehicle Fleet’ worth RM3,966,386,628 to Spanco, which the ministry would not have done had it not been misled. - BERNAMA

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