KPMG in Singapore, the independent accountants appointed in accordance with the Order of the Court in Attorney-General v Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council, Civil Appeal No. 114 of 2015, submitted its latest monthly report on 18 August 2016.

Recent media reports based on the August update may have given the impression that KPMG identified no duplicate or fictitious payments in the books of Aljunied Hougang Town Council (AHTC).  Such conclusions are premature as KPMG is still in the process of reviewing AHTC’s past payments.

KPMG’s progress reports focused primarily on the functioning of internal controls to ensure compliance with Section 35(c) of the Town Councils Act (Cap. 329A).  These have been issued monthly since April. 

KPMG is also working on identifying any improper payments made between 27 May 2011 and 27 November 2015 that ought to be recovered. This part of the work is still in progress and no report has yet been issued in this regard.  This report, focused on the AHTC’s and Aljunied-Hougang-Punggol East Town Council’s past payments, will be issued on 31 August 2016 or on a date agreed by AHTC and the Housing & Development Board.