Singapore names King's Counsel, 6 firms to probe companies linked to haze

Two days after Singapore cabinet ministers summoned executives from 10 Singapore-based companies that were issued notices under the Transboundary Haze Pollution Act (THPA) for a meeting, a specialist panel of six firms and a King’s Counsel have been selected.

The panel has been tasked with assessing companies that may be responsible for, or have contributed to, the fires in Indonesia that caused the recent haze affecting Singapore.

The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint press release on Friday (Oct 30) that three investigation firms, three law firms and King’s Counsel Toby Landau of Duxton Hill Chambers bring expertise in forensic investigations, financial analysis, corporate intelligence, risk advisory, and legal services.

They are expected to conduct inquiries into the operations, corporate relationships and supply chains of the 10 companies issued with notices.

Evaluation reports will then be submitted to NEA based on their review, with the agency taking the findings into account when determining whether further action is warranted.

The 10 Singapore-based companies issued with notices will now have to engage these firms at their own expenses. The teams will be selected by NEA and will comprise an investigations firm and a law firm or legal adviser from the panel.

"Companies are expected to cooperate fully," MinLaw and NEA said.

Meanwhile, Davinder Singh Chambers, acting as adviser to the Government, will coordinate the work done by the panel to ensure that the evaluation reports effectively address the issues and contain the information and evidence needed by NEA for its assessment.

MinLaw and NEA said more members may be added to the panel if necessary. They also noted that some law firms were not appointed because they are advising companies identified by the Government.

Speaking to the media in his capacity as chairman of the Homeland Crisis Ministerial Committee after the meeting on Wednesday, Senior Minister K Shanmugam warned that the Government will pursue all available legal and regulatory avenues.

"We will use all the powers we have to establish responsibility, where there is responsibility. And we will hold those responsible to account. And if the facts show that there is no wrongdoing — we will proceed on that basis as well."

But he also made clear that if their companies are not involved in any way with the fires, the assessment will help to establish that fact and address the concerns .

Legislative amendments

The THPA will also be amended to give it more teeth when Parliament sits on Nov 3.

Currently, the THPA does not give NEA — the agency administering the law — the powers to request firms to appoint investigators to study a firm’s operations, corporate relationships or supply chains.

"The objective is to address enforcement gaps, strengthen corporate accountability, and enhance our ability to investigate and take decisive action against those responsible for transboundary haze," said Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Meanwhile, Singapore and Indonesia have announced that they are looking into establishing a joint task force to hold companies accountable for forest fires which have caused transboundary haze.

新加坡内阁部长召集了 10 家根据《跨境烟霾污染法》(THPA) 收到通知的新加坡公司的管理人员开会两天后，一个由六家公司和一名御用大律师组成的专家小组已经选定。

该小组的任务是评估可能对印尼火灾负有责任或促成了近期影响新加坡的烟霾的公司。

律政部和国家环境局在周五（10月30日）的联合新闻稿中表示，三家调查公司、三家律师事务所和达士敦山律师事务所的御用大律师托比·兰道在法证调查、财务分析、企业情报、风险咨询和法律服务方面拥有丰富的专业知识。

预计他们将对收到通知的 10 家公司的运营、企业关系和供应链进行调查。

评估报告将根据审查结果提交给美国国家教育协会 (NEA)，该机构在决定是否需要采取进一步行动时会考虑这些调查结果。

收到通知的10家新加坡公司现在必须自费聘请这些公司进行调查。这些调查团队将由国家环境局 (NEA) 选定，每个团队将由一家调查公司和一家律师事务所或法律顾问组成，均来自国家环境局的名单。

“各公司应全力配合，”律政部和国家环境局表示。

与此同时，作为政府顾问的达文德·辛格律师事务所将协调小组的工作，以确保评估报告有效解决问题，并包含国家环境局进行评估所需的信息和证据。

律政部和国家环境局表示，如有必要，可能会增加专家组成员。他们还指出，一些律师事务所未被委任，是因为它们正在为政府指定的公司提供法律咨询服务。

周三会议结束后，国土危机部长级委员会主席、高级部长尚穆根在接受媒体采访时警告说，政府将寻求一切可用的法律和监管途径。

“我们将动用一切权力，追究责任，无论责任在何方。我们将追究相关人员的责任。如果事实表明没有不当行为，我们也会在此基础上采取行动。”

但他也明确表示，如果他们的公司与火灾没有任何关联，评估将有助于确定这一事实并消除人们的疑虑。

立法修正案

11月3日议会开会时，《THPA》也将进行修订，以赋予其更大的效力。

目前，《住房和贸易保护法》并未赋予执行该法律的机构——国家环境管理局（NEA）——权力，要求公司任命调查员来研究公司的运营、公司关系或供应链。

“我们的目标是弥补执法漏洞，加强企业问责制，并提高我们调查和对跨境烟霾责任人采取果断行动的能力，”永续发展及环境部长傅海燕表示。

与此同时，新加坡和印度尼西亚宣布，他们正在考虑成立一个联合工作组，追究造成跨境烟霾的森林火灾相关公司的责任。