Singapore Press Holdings said today that it has dismissed Peter Khoo Chong Meng, a senior vice-president in the English & Malay Newspapers Division, after he voluntarily admitted to receiving illegal payments and misappropriating shopping vouchers handled by his Editorial Projects Unit.

These vouchers were intended for branding and promotion activities of The Straits Times, which his unit organises.

SPH says Khoo, who served the company for 22 years, has made restitution of $196,500 for the payments he admitted to receiving illegally and for the vouchers he misappropriated.

A police report has been made and investigations are ongoing.

Khoo also chaired the organising committee which coordinates events and activities to raise funds for The Straits Times School Pocket Money Fund (STPMF). He has been replaced in this role with immediate effect by Bertha Henson, associate editor of The Straits Times, who will also head the Editorial Projects Unit.

The STPMF is administered by the National Council of Social Service (NCSS). While the Editorial Projects Unit organises fund-raising activities for the STPMF, donations received are forwarded to the NCSS for crediting into the STPMF account maintained by NCSS. The funds are subsequently disbursed by NCSS through voluntary welfare organisations (VWOs) to needy students. Donations received by NCSS are acknowledged with official receipts.

SPH says none of the donations made to the STPMF has been misappropriated to the best of its knowledge.