Far East Cynic

Another good deal gone fleeting……

For those that do not know, Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., has long had a "lock" on the business of providing husbanding services to Navy ships in Asia. It's quite a lucrative business and is also known as a good deal for retiring supply officers who might want to stay in Asia. 

Or at least it was until yesterday:

SAN DIEGO — A Navy commander, a Naval criminal investigator and a defense contractor have been charged with conspiracy in a bribery scheme to gain millions in international port contracts, federal prosecutors said.

Leonard Francis was arrested this week in San Diego, Cmdr. Michael Misiewicz was arrested in Colorado, and NCIS Supervisory Special Agent John Beliveau II was arrested in Virginia, the U.S. attorney’s office said in a statement Tuesday night. Each faces up to five years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to commit bribery.

An email seeking comment from an NCIS spokesman wasn’t immediately returned Tuesday evening.

Francis, a Malaysian national who lives in Singapore, is the president and CEO of Singapore-based Glenn Defense Marine Asia Ltd., which has had “husbanding” contracts for Navy ships at ports worldwide for 25 years. The contracts — one of which was worth up to $125 million — involve providing services for ships and submarines in port, such as providing tugboats, security and transportation, paying customs fees, supplying food, fuel and water, and removing trash.

Prosecutors contend that Francis conspired to bribe the other men with luxury travel, prostitutes and gifts in exchange for information that allowed him to overcharge on port contracts by millions of dollars.

Could this be a potential business or job opportunity for mois?cool

  1. Skipy,

    I have to get with my contacts in Sinapore.  Too bad a few just got too greedy.  Me, I would have just settled with the women, but then it is Singapore, and if you need some broker to get you women, you must not really be on your game at all.  It's like a man trying to sell you sand while you are in the Sahara, why bother?

    I know that from one organization that I have been trying to get with down there, there will be much movement due to DoD 5 year rule.  I'm still looking at ways of trying to land there myself.  I guess now would be a good time to start up your own company and hire some of the mid levels from GDM.

  2. Let's pool our resources-there's an aviation market there we could tap as well. I don't need much, an apt, and well you know, some of that "sand". cheeky

  3. Skippy,

    I know you hate the concept of the lottery, but right now I see it is somewhere around $300 million plus.  Imagine if you were to "hit the numbers" as they say.  I would take the lump sum and even with all of the taxes taken out, one would have plenty of working capital to go down there and start buying the company out and getting into that business.  What I would do is basically undersell the competition since I would have my fortune,no rush for me to try to "get it all" but just make enough to keep the company viable.  I know people say that they would quit working if they won, but I would love to drop all of what I am doing and get into those guys business.

    A former shipmate of mine knows the CDR from USNA.  Another shining example of what they produce.  Did you also see the Navy TImes article about the medical officer on the USNS Comfort being relieved?  He was previously the XO of UNSH Yokouska.  Also the medical officer for Mercy was canned too.  It seems like those who did manage to make it above me in the Navy are not all they are supposed to be.

  4. I don't hate the lottery-I just hate not being able to buy tickets for it. The Euro lottery is nothing near what Powerball is. Maybe 5Million Euro at most-and you have to be an EU citizen to buy.

    I'd take the lump sum too-but the first thing I would do is set up some investment accounts to pay me a comfortable salary. Then I would go into work and tell them to go f@ck themselves.

    Then I would consider starting my own business-or becoming a free lance journalist.

  5. Did someone not get payed off?  Kinda like getting brought up on gambling changes, for a moving poker game, because you didn't pay off the local cops, mob, catholic church, what have you – there's always someone standing in line to get payed off…

  6. There was an interesting article on this issue in the Stars & Stripes.  The CDR was a rising star that really blew it.  It does seem like someone was a bit peeved that they didn't get what was promised to them and started talking.  Such a shame since this company pretty much had a monopoly on these services in the Far East and the world over.