Former senior employees of CapitaLand Group Pte in India allegedly accepted bribes from a contractor involved in a major technology park project, according to court filings cited by Bloomberg News on 20 August 2025.
The allegations surfaced in a civil lawsuit filed in Singapore by construction company Lee Kim Tah against a former director. While CapitaLand is not a party to the case, it is repeatedly referenced in the documents filed by both sides.
According to Bloomberg, the filings allege that CapitaLand staff accepted “corrupt payments” relating to the International Tech Park Pune project, and that the company was aware of the misconduct since at least 2023.
A CapitaLand spokesperson told Bloomberg that the matter was related to past incidents involving former staff. The company said it conducted an internal investigation and reported the issue to Indian police. The employees involved no longer work at CapitaLand.
CapitaLand is wholly owned by Temasek Holdings, Singapore’s state investment company. The firm’s indirect state affiliation places its actions under heightened scrutiny, given Singapore’s strong anti-corruption reputation.
In a statement to Bloomberg, CapitaLand said it has “a zero-tolerance policy towards unethical conduct” and is committed to “the highest ethical standards and integrity.”
A spokesperson for CapitaLand added:“This matter is related to a past incident involving former employees in India in 2023. Upon discovering the incident, the company promptly investigated it and reported the case to the relevant police authorities at the time. The case is currently under investigation.
Given the ongoing investigation, we are unable to comment further. CapitaLand is fully committed to conducting business with the highest ethical standards and integrity and has a zero-tolerance policy towards unethical conduct.”
Project and payment details revealed
The project in question — International Tech Park Pune, Kharadi — spans 16.5 acres and launched in 2023. Tenants include HP Enterprise, Whirlpool and Bharti Airtel, according to a 2023 press release cited by Bloomberg.
The development cost about ₹17.5 billion (US$201 million) and was funded by the Ascendas India Growth Programme, managed by CapitaLand Investment Ltd and backed by Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC.
L&W Construction Pvt Ltd, the India-incorporated contractor, had been working with CapitaLand since 2009, Bloomberg reported. The company is part of a joint venture between Lee Kim Tah and Woh Hup Holdings.
Court suit sheds light on alleged misconduct
Lee Kim Tah filed suit in Singapore against Edmund Cheah, a former director who oversaw its India investments and sat on L&W’s board. The suit alleges that Cheah breached his fiduciary duties and is seeking to recover more than S$2.1 million.
In its report, Bloomberg states that Cheah denies wrongdoing and asserts that he acted in Lee Kim Tah’s best interests. His legal counsel has not commented publicly.
According to court documents cited by Bloomberg, Cheah was informed by CapitaLand in mid-2023 of “serious misconduct issues” involving senior employees at both CapitaLand and L&W.
Bribes allegedly date back to 2019
The Bloomberg report, citing people familiar with the matter, says former CapitaLand staff requested and received payments from L&W as far back as 2019. The alleged payments were tied to services such as work certifications and ensuring bill clearance.
In one case, a former CapitaLand employee allegedly received as much as ₹9 million in kickbacks. In another, the same employee allegedly demanded 1% of a contract value, which was refused by an L&W executive.
L&W is currently under investigation by authorities in Pune, India. Bloomberg reported that police records show arrests of several L&W employees in 2023 for alleged fund misappropriation connected to the tech park project.
CapitaLand’s operational response
Bloomberg also reported that CapitaLand has stopped awarding new contracts to L&W following the revelations. The contractor remains involved in two ongoing projects in India, now nearing completion, according to Lee Kim Tah.
The joint venture between Lee Kim Tah and Woh Hup continues to operate. KPMG India was appointed to conduct a forensic audit into L&W’s operations in 2023, but the findings have not been made public.
CapitaLand’s India portfolio includes logistics parks, data centres, and serviced apartments, with over S$8 billion (US$6.2 billion) in assets under management. The group aims to increase this to S$15 billion by 2028.
The post Former CapitaLand staff in India allegedly accepted bribes, Bloomberg reports appeared first on The Online Citizen.
