Two former Sembcorp Marine executives acquitted of charges in Brazil corruption case

SINGAPORE: Former Sembcorp Marine president and chief executive Wong Weng Sun and former Jurong Shipyard senior general manager Lee Fook Kang have been acquitted of all charges against them over alleged corruption offences linked to the company’s business in Brazil. 

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) said prosecutors directed that stern warnings be administered to the two Singaporeans in lieu of prosecution after considering the facts and circumstances of the case. 

This included the dismissal of criminal proceedings in Brazil against Guilherme Esteves de Jesus, AGC said. 

Mr de Jesus was a former Brazilian consultant with Seatrium who was found guilty in Brazil in 2020 of corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organisation. He was sentenced to 19 years and four months' jail.

He was subsequently acquitted of all charges by the Brazilian Federal Lower Court in 2023.

The stern warnings were administered by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) on Monday (Sep 21). 

Following this, prosecutors applied for discharges amounting to acquittals for all charges against Mr Wong and Mr Lee. The court granted the applications on Thursday.

After his acquittal, Mr Wong's lawyers at WongPartnership said: "With this, to the best of his knowledge, there are no further court proceedings pending against Mr Wong." 

The firm added that he had consistently denied involvement in any criminal wrongdoing.

CHARGED IN 2024

The two men were charged on Mar 28, 2024, with bribing Brazilian officials to advance their companies' interests between 2009 and 2014. 

A total of around US$44 million was allegedly paid through Mr de Jesus, who acted as a middleman.

At the time, Mr Wong was Sembcorp Marine's president, executive director and chief executive, as well as managing director of its wholly owned subsidiary Jurong Shipyard. Mr Lee was Jurong Shipyard's senior general manager.

Mr Wong and Mr Lee each faced five charges of conspiring to corruptly give gratification to Mr de Jesus for the benefit of other people in Brazil, as inducements or rewards to advance the business interests of Sembcorp Marine's subsidiaries there.

Mr Wong also faced an additional charge of obstruction of justice for allegedly instructing two employees to remove an email containing evidence of bribes.

The charges arose from CPIB investigations into Seatrium.

Seatrium was formed in 2023 following the merger of Keppel Offshore and Marine and Sembcorp Marine.  

In June 2024, Seatrium said Singapore authorities were investigating offences potentially committed by the company that were linked to a corruption case in Brazil widely known as Operation Car Wash.

In July 2025, Seatrium agreed to pay US$110 million as part of a deferred prosecution agreement over corruption offences in Brazil.

Under such an agreement, prosecutors defer criminal charges against a corporate offender in exchange for the company agreeing to comply with specified conditions.

Seatrium also said in a Singapore Exchange filing at the time that it would pay Brazilian authorities about US$131 million over the offences.