SingPost’s Parcelgate Fiasco: Former Executives Respond to Termination
A “SIGNIFICANT majority” of the shipments involved in Singapore Post’s (SingPost) Parcelgate fiasco were linked to known issues like conflict zones.
This was the comeback from the company’s former group chief executive Vincent Phang and group chief financial officer Vincent Yik on Tuesday (Dec 31) – who, along with Li Yu, head of its international business unit (IBU) – were sacked for being “grossly negligent” in their handling of a whistle-blower report and subsequent investigations.
Background of the Issue
SingPost had earlier found and terminated three managers in the IBU for making manual updates of the “delivery failure” status code for parcels it had agreed to deliver even though no delivery attempt was made.
Former Executives’ Response
Phang and Yik issued their joint statement on New Year’s Eve in response to SingPost’s detailed account of its due process leading up to the termination of the trio.
The statement said: “As we had shared in our Dec 22 statement, the management was not part of the investigation following receipt of the whistle-blowing report, in line with the company’s whistle-blowing policy. We were asked for our views on Mar 11 and Apr 3, 2024, and we responded accordingly based on the facts that were provided to us at that time.”
They added that the “full facts came to light” for them only after the external forensics team’s investigations established the causative correlation on Apr 27, 2024.
Link to Known Issues
“A significant majority of the shipments in question were linked to destinations where there were known issues – such as conflict zones (for example, Israel). It was therefore important to establish the financial impact prior to communicating with the customer as well as determining any wrongdoing by junior staff members,” Phang and Yik said.
Next Steps
All three executives have said they plan to fight the terminations.
Conclusion
The controversy surrounding SingPost’s Parcelgate fiasco continues to unfold, with former executives Vincent Phang and Vincent Yik defending their handling of the issue. The dispute highlights the importance of transparency and due process in handling whistle-blower reports and investigations.
FAQs
Q: What is the background of the Parcelgate fiasco?
A: SingPost terminated three managers in its international business unit (IBU) for making manual updates of the “delivery failure” status code for parcels it had agreed to deliver even though no delivery attempt was made.
Q: What is the response of former executives Vincent Phang and Vincent Yik?
A: Phang and Yik have issued a joint statement defending their handling of the issue, saying they were not part of the investigation and were only briefed on the report and its findings later.
Q: What is the next step for the terminated executives?
A: All three executives plan to fight the terminations.
Q: What is the impact of the issue on SingPost’s shares?
A: SingPost’s shares ended trading at S$0.53, up S$0.01 or 1.9 per cent, on Tuesday.
