Three women and the fire chief

Gosh. It’s been a long time since we’ve had such a sexy story hit the main headlines. And I’m glad we have a tabloid around to dig up the dirt. I thought the TNP angling was superb angle-shooting. Instead of focusing on SCDF’s Peter Lim (which ST was bound to do) it went on the three women. It seemed to have more success getting details – or maybe as a broadsheet, the ST was pulling its punches. It even reported about quarrels heard between one of the married women and her husband by their neighbours. If you want more, go buy TNP.

I guess the three women are in a real pickle now. The way their employers reacted was quite interesting. One of them actually said its management was “out of town”. Hmm. Another said employees have been told not to talk about this – on pain of a sacking? Another, from which the woman had already left, gave some platitudes about upholding integrity….I mean, was she sacked?

Okay, I guess these kind of stories bring out the voyuer in me. I don’t suppose TNP really needed to talk about how far each rendezvouz site was from his home, or give such excruciating detail of every encounter. Then again, who paid for that Paris hotel? Didn’t he live with his family in the Tanjong Rhu apartment? Where’s the wife? Can’t help it. These kind of stories, you simply want the detail.

On a more serious note, I am glad the question of whether the women would be charged was raised. I find it tough to recall though, instances when both the briber and the bribee were charged. Usually, it’s the civil servant who accepted the bribe/favour who gets the book thrown at him whether for accepting the bribe or soliciting one. The other party is out of the picture or even becomes a prosecution witness. Does it matter? Is it going to be case of who did the soliciting? I wish someone out there would make things clearer. And if the women’s labours did bear fruit in terms of size of contracts that were awarded etc, is the SCDF going to look them over and re-tender all over?

Reminds me, I’ll have to buy Shin Min and Wanbao later.