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Chitchat 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry staff

scroobal

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See the highly defensive and cover your arse press statement below.

2 bloody years to investigate a straight forward and simple case. The ministry staff diverted payments amounting to $350K to 2 accounts of his instead of 42 social welfare recipients. The statement gives the impression that it was detected by the Ministry but I heard that people who supposed to receive the payments complained. Which is expected as they depend on this welfare payments to buy food. Even one day late, you can expect a phone cal.

There is nothing sophisticated about this crime. Not sure why the hullabaloo, review teams from various ministries etc? I won't be surprised this case was delayed purposely to sail thru GE2015.

Honestly what will review do for such a case? Ask a MP to deliver the payments to the welfare recipients directly? Payments reconciliation controls are basic and used by companies and public bodies around the world. No need for an entire panel. There are even programs that does recons and isolates new and exception payments. The recipients complaining is also an acceptable control as you do not want build a high costly framework to handle straight forward payments.

Note also that there is absolutely no mention of review findings or what the new recommended changes are. Another NAC bin case where the supposed complexity of the issue led to an eventual simple cover on the top and the sides of an existing structure despite the high cost of consulting and reviewing.

This sort of press statements reveals a culture where a mistake, any mistake big or small is immediately and wrongly construed as a political time bomb. This leads to other adverse cultural traits where cover-ups, defensive language such "blame culture", "do not want to panic the public" "immediately a multi-disciplinary review panel was created" are thrown around needlessly. In essence, such a mentality and culture become the norm and risk-taking however small is frowned upon and staff including senior ones just do the basic and do what you are told to receive the salary.

Anyone reading the press statement would have thought that guy had many accomplices, siphoned off millions from the State Treasury using sophisticate software, identity was only unmasked after ISD, SID, SCDF, St John's Ambulance etc was brought in and it took 2 years of protracted investigations, requiring Interpol and Asean Security agencies etc.

The most ridiculous and most kiasu press release ever.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

https://www.facebook.com/notes/msf-...appropriation-of-funds/1241966279169821Social Service Officer Charged for Misappropriation of Funds
MSF SINGAPORE·WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 3, 2016
The Police have charged a Social Service Office (SSO) officer, Chia Kwang Hwee, under the Penal Code, Computer Misuse and Cybersecurity Act and the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.
On 14 August 2014, the Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) was alerted by a ComCare beneficiary that he had not received his financial assistance payments. Upon investigation, the Ministry found information suggesting that a SSO officer from the Geylang Serai office could have misappropriated funds meant for financial assistance payments. On 15 August 2014, the Ministry filed a Police report.
The Police investigated the matter with full cooperation from the Ministry. MSF also suspended the officer from his duties from the time the Police report was filed. 
Immediately following the incident, the Ministry contacted all affected families to ensure the assistance they needed were not affected by the case.
The Ministry’s internal auditor has conducted checks on all the SSOs’ payment records, and confirmed that there were no other occurrences of a similar nature.
The Ministry has also reviewed and strengthened systems, processes and controls at all the SSOs. As part of this effort, the Ministry had convened an independent review panel comprising senior officials from other government agencies to look into the checks and control mechanisms for financial assistance payments in all the SSOs. The Ministry has implemented the Panel’s recommendations. Examples of the changes made include:
Strengthening the administration of access to our IT system;
Including additional checks to ensure payments to clients; and
Allocating cases such that no officer will be allowed to take charge of a particular client for more than two consecutive years.
Please see Annex for background on the case.
MSF does not condone or tolerate any conduct that undermines the integrity of our social assistance system and interest of our beneficiaries, and would not hesitate to take appropriate action against any officer with such conduct.
Annex

Background on the Case
MSF started rolling out the network of Social Service Offices (SSOs) island-wide since July 2013. These are staffed by MSF officers who had previously undertaken the disbursement of social assistance prior to the setting up of the SSOs.
As a team leader, Chia’s job scope included assessing applications for financial assistance and putting them up to his supervisor for approval, approving assistance for cases handled by other officers in his team, and case-managing families with multiple needs.
On 14 Aug 2014, the management of the SSO at Geylang Serai detected suspicious social assistance transactions involving one officer, Chia Kwang Hwee, where the GIRO payments for 26 clients were disbursed into two bank accounts.
On 15 Aug 2014, MSF lodged a police report against Chia for alleged fraud after confirming that one of the said accounts was Chia’s payroll account.
On 18 Aug 2014, the police arrested Chia.
On 19 Aug 2014, MSF interdicted Chia from duties.
Immediately following the incident, MSF contacted all 42 affected clients to ensure that the assistance they needed were met accordingly.
On 15 Sep 2014, MSF appointed an Independent Review Panel to review and report on the circumstances surrounding the alleged misappropriation of social assistance funds by an officer in SSO at Geylang Serai and recommend necessary changes in internal controls for the handling of social assistance payments.
The Panel reviewed three areas – system, process and people – in which the MSF and SSO at Geylang Serai operated in, as well as transactions to assess the adequacy and effectiveness of the prevailing social administration and disbursement process.
The Ministry has implemented the Panel’s recommendations
 
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Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

Cover up is part and parcel of being a civil servant, no surprise there. What you should ask is how 42 welfare recipients could have been allowed to get paid with 2 bank accounts. It is as if there was no controls in place in the database. An analogy would be how can 1 person sign up for 42 nicks on sammyboy using 2 email accounts? :confused: Obviously the lapse points to serious control issues. Let's hope 2 years is enough for them to get a proper system in place. Truly appalling in this day and age.
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

no apology from MSF queue cutter chief TCJ?

simple explanation ,上梁不正下梁歪.
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

"I am proud that many of our officers serve with passion and dedication. But the ministry will not condone or tolerate any conduct that undermines the integrity of our social assistance system and interest of our beneficiaries."

- Minister for Social and Family Development Tan Chuan-Jin

- See more at: http://www.tnp.sg/news/singapore-news/how-chia-allegedly-spent-money#sthash.LCC0w7Uw.dpuf
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

Remembering K. C. :D:D:D .....



 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

K.C. and the Sunshine Band :D:D:D


 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

If this incident were to happened in japan...The Minister will surely tender his or her resignation.But...in Singapore???????
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

These things happen in any organisation. They should have charged in court in within weeks of the discovering and make it public. They can always continue investigating. It shows the lack of transparency. Why 2 years. Even complex corporate fraud, the suspect is charged in court while the auditors and the investigators continue to investigate. They put in additional charges as they uncover more cases.

I think they want to keep WP Aljunied case front and centre and this would cause unnecessary distraction.

The end result is that Singaporeans will wonder what else that they have hidden.
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

These things happen in any organisation. They should have charged in court in within weeks of the discovering and make it public. They can always continue investigating. It shows the lack of transparency. Why 2 years. Even complex corporate fraud, the suspect is charged in court while the auditors and the investigators continue to investigate. They put in additional charges as they uncover more cases.

I think they want to keep WP Aljunied case front and centre and this would cause unnecessary distraction.

The end result is that Singaporeans will wonder what else that they have hidden.


good points. but but i think you have to ask K C ...:confused::confused::confused:

https://www.parliament.gov.sg/mp/chan-chun-sing
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

Since the standard SOP cut+paste PAP response nowadays no longer sounds intelligent, let me help the PM or 2DPMs save their time in parliament so that more important issues such as raising the PM's salary can be more vigorously supported and then disseminated:
qOiWjPs.jpg
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/ex-cnb--scdf-chiefs--cases-addressed-in-parliament/192862.html


E.g.: sock puppet MPs in Parliament speaking from script:
"If the annual salary of the Minister of Information, Communication and Arts is only $500,000, it may pose some problems when he discuss policies with media CEOs who earn millions of dollars because they need not listen to the minister's ideas and proposals. Hence, a reasonable payout will help to maintain a bit of dignity."
- MP Lim Wee Kiak apologises for comments on pay
YqUYU.jpg
[IMG URL]

ST23Mar2007-%2BWhy%2Bpay%2Bmust%2Bgo%2Bup.JPG
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

GST must increase also? :eek::eek::eek:
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

These things happen in any organisation. They should have charged in court in within weeks of the discovering and make it public. They can always continue investigating. It shows the lack of transparency. Why 2 years. Even complex corporate fraud, the suspect is charged in court while the auditors and the investigators continue to investigate. They put in additional charges as they uncover more cases.

I think they want to keep WP Aljunied case front and centre and this would cause unnecessary distraction.

The end result is that Singaporeans will wonder what else that they have hidden.

Read the article very carefully again. It says:

The Ministry’s internal auditor has conducted checks on all the SSOs’ payment records, and confirmed that there were no other occurrences of a similar nature.

Asking the Ministry's own internal auditor to conduct the checks is like ownself check ownself. Let me guess, these would be the same fucked up internal auditors that completely missed the theft for 2 years and would have continued to miss it if the client had not complain? These are the same assholes you ask to check on ALL SSO PAYMENT RECORDS? hahahhahahha

Also, I can guarantee you because they did not mention it that they had not gone back the last 30 years and check all the payment records of all the SSOs. I can bet you that there are many other incidents of SSOs stealing money. that job is not very high paying. Who is to say that another SSO did not pocket $250K back in 2010 and then resign from the Ministry to pursue other things. They have to look back many years to determine there is no malfeasance.
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

lol. now sinkieland is lumbar 1, beta than bolehland ...

Cover up is part and parcel of being a civil servant, no surprise there. ...
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

blitzkrieg on AHTC daily,MSM,parliament...

日防夜防,家贼难防,the thieves are in the ministries..
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

This is nothing compared to the CHC's investigation and trial case. It dragged on for 6 years and is still dragging on.

But then again, I hate to see Selina Wee incarcerated.
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

This is the face of evil. Look how fat and ugly this thief is. He should thank his lucky stars we don't have sharia law here. He gets to keep his hand for jerking himself off in jail.

chia-kwang-hwee.png


SINGAPORE: A social service officer was sentenced to 64 months’ jail on Thursday (Dec 22), for stealing more than S$340,000 in public funds that was meant for the needy.

Chia Kwang Hwee, 33, used the money to pay off his family’s mounting debt and spent the rest on an extravagant lifestyle, splurging on fine dining, airline tickets and purchases from high-end boutiques.



http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news...4-months-for-stealing-over-s-340/3387358.html
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

As penance, he will do social work in prison.
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

If this incident were to happened in japan...The Minister will surely tender his or her resignation.But...in Singapore???????

In Singapore, they will resign themselves to Fate. Arh it's just an honest mistake, let's move on. Controls & checks are in place. More of the same will be implemented after a review panel . Haha. Dont blame us. Blame the thieves! Lol
 
Re: 2 years to investigate a simple case of criminal misappropriation by Ministry sta

how many more still undetected ? there was this malay duo also siphon off $5m,llion
 
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