Foreign talent's contributions to Singapore

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#50

Man, 44, who sexually abused daughter since she was 3 gets 28 years' jail and caning

Selina Lum
Law Correspondent

Apr 26, 2021

SINGAPORE - A 44-year-old man who showed child pornography to his daughter and sexually assaulted her over 7½ years was sentenced to 28 years' jail and 24 strokes of the cane on Monday (April 26).
The permanent resident from a European country had pleaded guilty in the High Court last month to three counts of rape.
He admitted that he sexually assaulted the victim when she was between three and seven years of age and started raping her by the time she was nine.
He had also preyed on his daughter's best friend, then nine years old, when she came over to play.
The man, who worked here as a product manager, is now divorced. He cannot not be named due to a gag order to protect the victims' identities.
Another 19 charges were considered in sentencing, including four charges of rape and three of sexual assault by penetration.

Justice Mavis Chionh noted that, with backdating and the usual one-third remission for good behaviour, he will be 61 years old when he is released.
The court heard earlier that the abuse started at the end of 2011 in the family's rented condominium.
Prosecutors told the court that the girl became afraid of showering alone after she saw people drowning on TV, which led to the man showering with her.
He began sexually exploiting her, and realised he was a paedophile and there was "no turning back".

After the family moved to another condominium, the abuse became more frequent.
While the girl's mother was at work or out of the country, he showed child pornography to the girl and carried out various sexual acts on her.
The girl said "no" when he wanted to have sex with her, but he told her to try for a few minutes.
She did not tell anyone about the assaults as she did not want her parents to divorce.

When the girl's best friend, a foreigner who lived in the same condominium, came over, he kissed the friend on the lips and told her to keep it a secret.
Once, he molested both girls at the same time, touching each victim with one hand.
Eventually, the friend stopped coming over.
The friend was in her home country in June 2019 when she was asked to confess her sins before taking her first communion as a Catholic. She revealed that the man had behaved inappropriately with her in 2017.
Her parents took her to make a police report when they returned to Singapore.
On July 1, 2019, the police went to the man's home and, after speaking to his daughter, who was alone at home, found out about the sexual abuse. He was later arrested.
The man estimated that he had sex with his daughter 10 to 20 times. He also said he had forced her to perform oral sex on him more often than he raped her.
While he was diagnosed with paedophilic disorder by the Institute of Mental Health, the IMH said the disorder had "no substantive contributory link" to his criminal liability as his cognitive functioning and his capability of breaking the law to act on his desires were not significantly impaired.

 

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#51

Woman admits to illegally performing beauty treatments including nose threadlift procedure

Tan Shu Min decided to provide beauty treatments in Singapore to boost her income. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Dominic Low

May 6, 2021

SINGAPORE - A woman with no qualifications as a medical practitioner performed beauty treatments including a nose threadlift on customers, a court heard on Thursday (May 6).
Malaysian Tan Shu Min, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of doing an act as a medical practitioner without being registered and with no valid practising certificate.
She also admitted to three counts of importing health products into Singapore without a licence and one charge of illegally importing a poison.
Ten other charges - eight for importing health products without a valid licence and two for illegally performing acts as a medical practitioner - will be taken into consideration during sentencing by District Judge Adam Nakhoda.
The court heard that Tan lived in Malaysia but decided to provide beauty treatments in Singapore to boost her income.
She started advertising beauty services, such as botox treatments and nose threadlift procedures, on social media platform Instagram in January 2019.

Tan would search the Internet for photos depicting people before and after they had gone for beauty treatment and post them on an Instagram account.
The court heard that a customer contacted her in the same month and they agreed to meet at Genting Hotel Jurong.
Tan then entered Singapore, checked into the hotel on Jan 24, 2019, and brought the woman to the room three days later.
She then performed a nose threadlift procedure, which included inserting threads into the bridge of the nose.

Tan gave the woman oral medication, which she claimed contained antibiotics, after completing the procedure.
She was paid between $400 and $600 for the treatment and left Singapore on Jan 29.
Tan later returned to Singapore and rented a room at a unit in Admiralty, where she received two customers on May 27, 2019.
The court heard that she injected gel into a customer's face and applied facial cream on the other.
She was arrested later that day.
A search uncovered various health products and two syringes containing lignocaine, which is listed as a poison.

Tan is expected to be sentenced on May 28.
Those who import health products illegally face a two-year jail term or fines of up to $50,000, or both, for each offence.
Tan could also be jailed for up to a year or fined up to $100,000, or both, for illegally doing an act as a medical practitioner.
Importing a poison without a valid licence can bring a jail term of up to two years, fines of up to $10,000, or both.

 

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#52


Singapore entrepreneur Harsh Dalal removed from Forbes list amid reports of unverifiable claims

Mr Harsh Dalal (bottom left) was featured on the cover of the April/May issue of Forbes Asia.PHOTO: FORBES ASIA

Choo Yun Ting

May 14, 2021


SINGAPORE - Local entrepreneur Harsh Dalal claimed to run a US$25 million (S$33.4 million) tech start-up and was one of the honorees of Forbes' annual 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2021.
But less than a month after being named on the list of 300 entrepreneurs, the 19-year-old co-founder and chief executive of Singapore-based Team Labs has been removed amid reports that some of his previous claims cannot be verified.
On Wednesday (May 12), Forbes Asia editor Justin Doebele said in an article that the publication was removing Mr Dalal from its 30 Under 30 Asia list for 2021.
"His removal comes after a careful consideration of the findings of a comprehensive review of the information that was used to qualify him for the list, as well as new information that has come to light in recent days," he wrote, adding that Forbes has also taken significant steps to tighten its evaluation process.
Mr Dalal, who recently graduated from Singapore Polytechnic with a diploma in business administration, was featured on the cover of the April/May issue of Forbes Asia, among other honorees on the list. His video interview with CNA for its On The Red Dot series published in January has garnered over 900,000 views as of Friday (May 14).
However, a detailed investigation by Singapore-based online tech media publication Tech in Asia found inconsistencies in several of his claims, including his US$9.8 million Series A round raised from venture capital (VC) firm Grand Canyon Capital.


Mr Dalal told Tech in Asia after several conversations that Team Labs' numbers were "conveyed by" Grand Canyon Capital and cannot be attributed to him. The investor was also responsible for incorporating the company and managing the firm day-to-day, he added.
However, several links on Grand Canyon Capital's website are not working, and the site's claims that it is an investor in prominent tech-enabled companies Uber, Deliveroo and Airbnb cannot be corroborated.
The VC firm has also little presence online, with the only online mentions traced to Team Labs.
Checks by The Straits Times found that there are no local companies registered to either Team Labs or its predecessor Codexia Studios. A Google Maps listing of Codexia Studios' permanently closed office in Robinson Road also features a review from a Mr Lin Hanrong, who was a contracted staff at Team Labs.

Most of the links on Team Labs' website redirect to a link to create an account, which does not register.
Its website states that its products are used by several large players globally, such as Coca-Cola, Hilton Worldwide Holdings and Spotify. However, an editor's note on CNA's original article notes that these references were removed following clarifications from Mr Dalal.
The note also said that CNA is investigating the story and will take all appropriate steps once its editorial review is complete.
CNA’s original article included details of how Mr Dalal had first got into software development through developer forums and how he secured investment from VC firms through virtual calls. He developed his first app with other teenagers he had met on a forum when he was a Secondary 1 student, Mr Dalal said in the interview then. The broadcaster also spoke to his mother, Ms Manju Dalal, a financial journalist. One of the videos of Mr Dalal’s interview has since been taken down.
Attempts by ST to contact him through email and phone have both been unsuccessful. Mr Dalal's LinkedIn profile has also since been taken down.
In addition, the number of employees Team Labs said it had in its CNA interview - 120 - also seems to be inflated, with just five employees currently listed on the company's LinkedIn page. The 120 employees also included contractors and independent agencies, Mr Dalal later clarified with Tech in Asia.

Room for greater due diligence​

Amid the chatter online, netizens and those active in the tech ecosystem have noted that more stringent due diligence by media outlets could have been done to verify the claims made by Mr Dalal. Tech in Asia's editor-in-chief Terence Lee, in a LinkedIn post, pointed to how the Singapore Reddit community had been key in raising questions about the entrepreneur.
Quest Ventures partner Jeffrey Seah noted that Mr Dalal has demonstrated intelligence and eloquence beyond most peers his age, and perhaps these skills could have been used for more purposeful endeavours.
Forbes perhaps did not have sufficient resources to do full due diligence checks on each of the 30 Under 30 Asia submissions, but Mr Seah acknowledged that there are many strong entrepreneurs among the list's alumni.
For early-stage VCs, the due diligence process tends to be more focused on the founders than businesses, he said, and added that he would focus on signs of grit, fundraising charisma and the individual's networks as part of his assessment.
Founder of angel network AngelCentral Huang Shao-ning said that most of the venture capital firms have rather stringent due diligence workflows and spend a good amount of time getting to know founders before investing in start-ups.
"Within the ecosystem, we check around for feedback as well," she said, but noted that there could be greater checks done by media, even if the information is not publicly available.
National University of Singapore's (NUS) Associate Professor Lawrence Loh said that the ball currently sits in Forbes' court, adding that while Forbes has withdrawn Mr Dalal from their list, their reasons for so have been opaque.
Media outlets who have reported the Team Labs' co-founder's claims could also take action against him if Mr Dalal is found to have misrepresented information, the director of NUS's Centre for Governance and Sustainability added.

 

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#53

Teenager jailed for filming other male students showering, engaging in sex acts

Photo illustration of a voyeur filming in a toilet.
By Lydia Lam@LydiaLamCNA
17 May 2021

​

SINGAPORE: While studying for his A-Level examinations, a teenager filmed multiple clips of his male schoolmates showering, in the toilet or engaging in sex acts.
Tang Jiasheng, 19, was given three months and two weeks' jail on Monday (May 17), along with a fine of S$1,500. He pleaded guilty to eight charges of voyeurism and offences under the Films Act, with another 35 charges considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Tang, a China national, was in Singapore on a student pass at the time of the offences. Then 18, he was studying at a private school and living in the school's hostel.
Between October 2019 and March 2021, he filmed multiple male students at the hostel during their private moments.
One of the victims was in a toilet at the hostel on Jan 19, 2020, when Tang entered the stall next to him. Upon realising there was someone there, Tang placed his phone in recording mode and began filming the victim through the gap at the bottom of the stalls.
The victim realised that someone was filming him while he was showering and reported the incident to hostel management. The police came and initially suspected Tang's roommate.

In the next few days, Tang continued to film other male students at the school, until his roommate was cleared as nothing incriminating was found on him.
A member of the hostel management team tracked down Tang on Jan 22, 2020, and called him into her office. She found a hidden folder in Tang's device containing 39 video clips of male students showering, urinating or masturbating. Another two clips were of Tang himself.
Tang admitted to the police that he had been recording videos at the school. He also admitted to an Institute of Mental Health doctor that he filmed male victims at a junior college in 2019 until he was caught. He was not reported to the police then.
He said he filmed the male students because it "aroused him as he could be able to see parts of his victims which they would not reveal".

He also told police that he got "a thrill from doing something which he knew was wrong and illegal".
Even after he was charged in court and released on bail, Tang continued his crimes, secretly filming a student showering in the hostel in March 2021.
ACCUSED IS A RECALCITRANT OFFENDER: PROSECUTOR
Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Kee En asked that Tang be fined and jailed for at least three months and two weeks.
"This is a case involving a recalcitrant accused who had repeatedly filmed other male students in their private moments whilst showering, urinating, defecating, and even when masturbating," he said, adding that Tang did so to gratify himself sexually.
"The accused did so whilst reprehensibly violating the privacy of these male victims, whom as foreign students deserved a safe space in the hostel, which would have been their home away from home."
He said Tang has no local roots and cannot be a candidate for probation or reformative training.
"Whilst a term of imprisonment might seem harsh for a young offender such as the accused, it is the only viable option," said Mr Chong.
The defence said Tang has sought medical treatment of his own volition for a mental condition, but the prosecutor said no contributory link was found to the offences.
The judge told Tang to continue his treatment once he is released from jail, as he will be dealt with under the relevant laws if he reoffends.

 

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#54

Courts sales assistant edited sales invoices to receive more commission over 1.5 years, gets jail​

Screengrab from Google Street View of a Courts outlet in Orchard Road.
By Lydia Lam@LydiaLamCNA
19 May 2021

​

SINGAPORE: Over one-and-a-half years, a sales assistant at electronics and furniture retailer Courts secretly used his superiors' computer accounts to edit sales invoices so he would receive more commission.
Cai Bangzuan, a 57-year-old Singapore permanent resident, was given four months and two weeks' jail on Wednesday (May 19). He pleaded guilty to six charges of cheating and unauthorised modification or access of computer material, with another eight charges taken into consideration.

The court heard that Cai worked for Courts Singapore at its Somerset branch. He was a sales assistant at its furniture department from 2014 to November 2018.
Cai was given a unique staff code and a personal account to access the company's computer system Navision in order to track sales invoices and check stock levels.
Managers and supervisors' Navision accounts come with additional access rights to edit sales invoices. When a customer decides to make a purchase, the sales assistant attending to him or her will create a sales invoice using their unique staff code, before handing the invoice to the cashier for payment processing.
The sales assistant will later be paid commission for facilitating the sale. Commissions to be paid are tracked by the unique staff code reflected on sales invoices, the court heard.

On Nov 13, 2018, Cai was working a shift with a department manager at Courts Somerset when the manager saw Cai standing beside a computer terminal which was logged into the Navision system.
The manager realised that the system was logged into the account of a sales supervisor, displaying a sales invoice that indicated it was from an online order. Cai's unique staff code was reflected on the invoice.
The manager made more checks and found numerous online sales invoices reflecting Cai's code. She found it suspicious, as it was highly unlikely for sales staff members deployed at a retail branch to facilitate online sales transactions.
She confronted Cai, who admitted that he had accessed the system and edited sales invoices to reflect his unique staff code, even though he did not provide any assistance for these orders.

He did this because he knew he would receive commission for all transactions reflecting his staff code. He had been doing this since at least February 2017. He would look out for instances when a manager or supervisor log into the system and edit the sales invoices if they left the terminal unattended.
A Courts branch manager lodged a police report. Investigations found that Cai had logged into the Navision system using five superiors' accounts on at least 674 occasions.
As a result, Courts Singapore was deceived into delivering S$4,396.68 to him as commission for orders he did not facilitate.
Cai has since made full restitution. The prosecution called for at least four months and two weeks' jail, citing the long period of offending, difficulty of detection and his financial motive.
The prosecutor acknowledged that the hundreds of modified invoices did not affect the orders of Courts' customers, but said that Courts has to expend resources to identify and correct the discrepancies.

 

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#55

8 Britons who breached Covid-19 measures on yacht off Lazarus Island fined $3,000 each​

The group intermingling without masks on Dec 26 last year when social gatherings were limited to five people.PHOTOS: BU HUI YAN/FACEBOOOK

Wong Shiying

May 20, 2021

SINGAPORE - Eight Britons who flouted Covid-19 rules when they took part in an unlawful gathering on a pleasure craft on Dec 26 last year were each fined $3,000 on Thursday (May 20).
Annabelle Morgan Duke, 26, Philip Edward Knatchbull Holmes, 27, Mark Alexander Bellamy, 27, Amy Georgina Hunt, 30, Thomas Cuthbert Williams-Jones, 30, Oliver Francis William Campbell, 31, Benjamin David Waters, 32, and Amy Alexandra Stewart, 32, were part of a group of 10 people who had boarded the craft on Boxing Day.
The group had intermingled without masks at a time when social gatherings were limited to five people.
The eight Britons pleaded guilty to an offence under the Covid-19 (Temporary Measures Act) on Thursday.
Earlier in March, Briton Amy Grace Ropner, 28, and Singapore permanent resident Mark Lau San Mao, 30, were also each fined $3,000 for the same offence.
Ropner has since been banned from working in Singapore and the validity of Lau's re-entry permit will be shortened upon his next renewal.


The court heard that the pleasure craft named Advant was owned and operated by a company called Beyond Luxury. It could be chartered for excursions through a booking agent.
Hunt had contacted one such agent, Marine Bookings, last October to charter a yacht for 10 people on Boxing Day.
Around 11am on Dec 26 last year, the 10 offenders met the yacht's two crew members at the Cove Avenue marina on Sentosa.
Before departing, the master of the yacht gave them a pre-departure briefing.
They were told to keep to two groups of five, one at the front and one at the back of the yacht. They were also reminded not to mix between groups, to wear a mask when not in the water or eating or drinking, and to comply with safe management measures on board the yacht.
The yacht was in waters off Lazarus Island when onlookers spotted the group.
Pictures and videos of the gathering were later posted on social media. They showed a group of merrymakers dancing and intermingling without masks.
Those found guilty of breaching a Covid-19 regulation can be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $10,000.
Repeat offenders can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $20,000.

 

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#56

12 weeks' jail for e-scooter rider whose device struck cyclist, causing fatal injuries​

Malaysian Hung Kee Boon (right) pleaded guilty earlier this month to causing Madam Ong Bee Eng's death by performing a rash act.PHOTOS: MR NG CHIN KAI, KELVIN CHNG

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

May 20, 2021

SINGAPORE - An e-scooter rider who was riding a non-compliant device when it struck an elderly cyclist in 2019, causing fatal injuries, was sentenced on Thursday (May 20) to 12 weeks' jail.
Malaysian Hung Kee Boon, now 22, pleaded guilty earlier this month to causing Madam Ong Bee Eng's death by performing a rash act.
The Singapore permanent resident had also admitted to one count of riding a non-compliant personal mobility device (PMD) on a public path, an offence under the Active Mobility Act.
Another charge for riding an unregistered PMD on a public path was considered during sentencing.
Before handing down the sentence on Thursday, Principal District Judge Victor Yeo noted that this was the first case in which a PMD user caused the death of another person by riding in a rash manner.
The judge also said that Hung's riding was "reckless" and that he had done so at an "excessive speed".


Deputy Public Prosecutor Dillon Kok had earlier said Hung's e-scooter was "grossly non-compliant", stressing that its weight, maximum speed and width exceeded the restrictions imposed on PMDs under the law.
For instance, it weighed 44.2kg, more than double the permitted weight of 20kg.
The DPP had also said Hung had bought the e-scooter in October 2018, "well after the restrictions... came into force on May 1, 2018".
He added: "This means that the accused was fully aware at the time of purchase that the e-scooter was non-compliant and cannot be used on public paths."

Hung was riding the e-scooter on a cycling path near Block 539 Bedok North Street 3 at a speed estimated to be between 27kmh and 43kmh shortly before the collision occurred at around 10.20pm on Sept 21, 2019. The speed limit on cycling paths is 25kmh.
Hung did not reduce his speed despite encountering rumble strips, which are raised grooves to indicate potential hazards and alert riders to slow down.
At around the same time, Madam Ong, 64, was riding her bicycle perpendicularly across the path towards a nearby zebra crossing.

Hung Kee Boon was riding the e-scooter (right) near Block 539 Bedok North Street 3 before the collision occurred on Sept 21, 2019.. PHOTOS: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Hung had noticed the logistics assistant packer entering the path even though a signboard partly obscured his view.
Despite this, he failed to stop in time because of the speed at which he was travelling. The front of his e-scooter struck Madam Ong's bicycle and she was flung to the ground.
Passers-by who rushed to the scene found her unconscious and bleeding from her head.
Hung and Madam Ong were taken to the hospital, where she was found to have suffered multiple injuries, including to her brain, ribs and face.
She went into a coma and died four days later.
For causing Madam Ong's death by a rash act, Hung could have been jailed for up to five years and fined.

 

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#57

10 years' jail for man who killed wife because he believed she was a demon​

Paul Leslie Quirk had heard voices prompting him to kill his wife.ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

Selina Lum
Law Correspondent

May 24, 2021

SINGAPORE - Believing that his wife was a demon who had to be banished back to the abyss, a man who suffered a relapse of schizophrenia repeatedly hit her with martial arts sticks and stabbed her neck.
Australian Paul Leslie Quirk, 49, had heard voices prompting him to kill his Singaporean wife Christina Khoo Gek Hwa. He had also seen a passer-by wearing a marathon "finisher" T-shirt, which his mind interpreted as “finish her”.
After killing Madam Khoo, 43, in their Sengkang condominium, Quirk, who was a podiatrist at Punggol Polyclinic, stabbed the family's 10-month-old poodle and threw it out of their home's third-floor balcony.
Quirk, who was in Singapore on a long-term visit pass, believed that the dog was a familiar - a spirit companion - that "could have brought the demon back to life".
When the police arrived, he answered the door covered in blood, and told the officers that he was "Jesus Christ".
On Monday (May 24), he was sentenced to 10 years' jail by the High Court after he pleaded guilty to a charge of culpable homicide.


The charge was reduced from murder, as his psychiatric condition was assessed to have substantially impaired his mental responsibility for his acts.
Another charge, of mischief for killing the dog, was taken into consideration.
The court heard that Quirk suffered a relapse because he reduced his intake of his prescribed medication about four months before he killed Madam Khoo on Jan 3 last year at Esparina Residences.
He moved from Australia to Singapore in 2016 and married her in August 2017. He also adopted her son from her first marriage.

Madam Khoo's LinkedIn profile indicated that she was a director and consultant at a management consulting firm based in Burlington, Massachusetts. She was believed to have worked for the company in Singapore.
The couple had occasional arguments about the alimony that Quirk owed his former wife in Australia, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Andre Chong told the court.
Quirk was first diagnosed with depression after his divorce in 2001.
In 2005, he started to experience auditory and visual hallucinations and believed that he needed to save the world by dying. This led to two episodes of self-harm that resulted in him being admitted to psychiatric units.
He achieved full remission after he was switched to an antipsychotic medication but suffered relapses when he stopped taking it.

The court heard that Quirk suffered a relapse because he reduced his intake of his prescribed medication about four months before he killed Madam Khoo on Jan 3 last year at Esparina Residences. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

After he moved to Singapore, he saw a psychiatrist and was prescribed the same medication.
However, in August 2019, he began taking the medication once every two to three days or more, instead of once a day.
On the night of Jan 2 last year, the couple had an argument at home, which led to Quirk packing his bag and leaving for 17 Punggol Residences, where his family, visiting from Australia, was staying.
He told his brother that he felt pressured to stay in the relationship.
He was advised to stay in the marriage and returned home in the wee hours the next day, accompanied by his brother.
That morning, the couple left the unit, and were seen holding hands when they parted ways with Quirk's brother.
The couple headed to the nearby Catholic Spirituality Centre, where Quirk heard a voice telling him that he had "a chance to stop this from getting worse".
He continued hearing voices when they headed home. The voices told him that Madam Khoo was evil, and that staying with her would upset the order of things.
At about 11.50am, Quirk grabbed sticks that the family used for kali, a form of martial arts.
Without warning, he began hitting Madam Khoo, causing her to run to the balcony and scream for help.
Quirk shouted "you die, you die" as he continued to hit her on the back of her head.

Police investigators were seen in the third-floor unit at Esparina Residences where Madam Khoo was found dead on Jan 3, 2020. PHOTO: ST FILE

Several neighbours witnessed the assault and called the police.
The attack continued when Madam Khoo fled to the master bedroom.
When she collapsed, Quirk retrieved a knife from the kitchen and repeatedly stabbed her neck.
After killing the dog, he sent a text message to his brother, stating "it is done".
The DPP sought at least 10 years' jail for Quirk, arguing this will ensure his compliance with taking his medication.
Defence counsel Anand Nalachandran asked for a jail term of not more than six or seven years. He said his client is likely to be repatriated after he is released from prison and that his parents and brother will ensure he is properly treated.

 

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#51 (continued)

Jail and fine for woman who unlawfully performed beauty treatments​

Tan Shu Min was given 10 weeks' jail and a fine of $5,500.ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Shaffiq Alkhatib
Court Correspondent

May 28, 2021

SINGAPORE - A non-medical practitioner who performed beauty treatments, including a nose threadlift, on her customers was given 10 weeks' jail and a fine of $5,500 on Friday (May 28).
Tan Shu Min, 26, will spend an additional 22 days behind bars if she is unable to pay the fine.
She had earlier pleaded guilty to one count of acting as a medical practitioner even though she was not registered to do so and did not have a valid practising certificate.
The Malaysian had also admitted to three counts of importing health products into Singapore without a licence and one charge of illegally importing a poison.
Ten other charges were considered during sentencing.
The court heard that Tan had decided to provide beauty treatments in Singapore to boost her income.

She started advertising beauty services, such as Botox treatments and nose threadlift procedures, on social media platform Instagram in January 2019.
She would search the Internet for photos depicting people before and after they had gone for beauty treatments. She then posted the images on an Instagram account.
A customer later contacted her, and they agreed to meet at Genting Hotel Jurong. Tan checked into the hotel on Jan 24, 2019, and took the woman to a room there three days later.
She then performed a nose threadlift procedure, which included inserting threads into the bridge of the nose. Following the procedure, Tan gave the woman some oral medication, which she claimed contained antibiotics.
Tan was paid between $400 and $600 for the treatment and she left Singapore on Jan 29.
Tan later returned to Singapore and rented a room at a unit in Admiralty, where she received two customers on May 27, 2019.
The court heard that she injected gel into a customer's face and applied facial cream on the other. She was arrested later that day.
A search uncovered various health products and two syringes containing lignocaine - an anaesthetic that is listed as a poison.
Tan's bail was set at $5,000 on Friday, and she will surrender herself at the State Courts on June 4 to begin serving her sentence.
For unlawfully acting as a medical practitioner, an offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $100,000.

 

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#58

Dentist on conditional registration fined $50k for working in S'pore without supervisor​

Conditionally registered dentists are required to work under supervision for at least two years to be granted full registration in Singapore.PHOTO: PEXELS

Salma Khalik
Senior Health Correspondent

June 3, 2021

SINGAPORE - A dentist on conditional registration has been fined $50,000 for treating prison inmates over a nine-month period without his supervisor present.
Dr Matthew Angus Christopher Campbell, an Australian, also has to pay all costs of the Singapore Dental Council's (SDC) disciplinary hearing, the Council's disciplinary committee said in judgment released recently.
However, the dentist has left the country.
Conditionally registered dentists are required to work under supervision for at least two years to be granted full registration in Singapore.
Dr Campbell was employed by a clinic here and had a fully registered dentist as his supervisor.
However, according to Singapore Prison Service records, he worked on inmates in 2015 without the presence of his supervisor for a total of 75 days from March 30 to Dec 24. He was the only dentist there for an average of 8.1 hours a week.



The records also showed that in the same time period, Dr Campbell had worked 15 days while the supervising dentist was in the prison premises.
Both the supervisor and the dentist supervised are responsible for adhering to SDC regulations for conditional registration.
The Straits Times understands that there is a separate disciplinary inquiry looking into the actions of the supervisor, who was identified as Dr X by the disciplinary committee.
"Dr Campbell's choice to treat these inmate-patients without Dr X being present to supervise him amounted to a disregard for his patients' welfare, safety and best interests," said the disciplinary committee.

However, it noted that none of the estimated 1,125 to 2,500 prisoners he treated while not under supervision suffered any actual harm.
Dr Campbell had "showed no remorse at all for the offence he had committed. Instead of contrition, his words conveyed arrogance, defiance", said the committee.
It added that he even "mounted an attack on SDC counsel, and argued that he was denied procedural fairness".
In deciding on the penalty, the committee also took into account Dr Campbell's statement in September last year that he did not intend to renew his practising certificate here, and that he was also not practising in Australia.
Hence, it said there was no punitive effect in suspending him from practice. It would have suspended him for a year if he were still in practice, the disciplinary committee added.
Instead, it opted for the maximum $50,000 fine, adding that it "would have imposed a much higher fine if it were within its power to do so, but it is not".
It said that given his base salary was $10,000 a month, a one-year suspension would have equalled a fine of $120,000 - above the maximum fine it can impose.
Aside from his base salary, Dr Campbell had also received a commission for seeing the prison inmates.
It was not stated in the recently released published grounds of decision how the incident came to light or who filed the complaint against him in May 2017.

 

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#59

Woman fined S$6,000 for using firm’s debit card to shop online, get meals and Grab rides

By LOUISA TANG
Published JUNE 04, 2021

Juliana Dawood chalked up S$6,283 worth of unauthorised transactions on her company’s debit card within six months in 2019.

SINGAPORE — A 36-year-old was on Friday (June 4) fined S$6,000 after she used her company’s debit card to make dozens of unauthorised transactions totalling S$6,283 within six months.

Juliana Dawood, a former operations manager at consultancy Thinkplace, spent the money mostly on food orders from delivery application Deliveroo, private-hire car rides and online shopping in 2019 as she was strapped for cash.

She pleaded guilty in court to one count of criminal breach of trust.

For sentencing, the court took into consideration a second charge of unauthorised access to computer material, in relation to using another woman’s debit card to make online food delivery orders. No further details were given.

Juliana worked at Thinkplace from September 2018 to July 2019.

She was one of six people entrusted with a DBS bank Business Advance debit card, which she used to make work-related purchases.

From January to July 2019, Juliana made 87 unauthorised transactions amounting to S$4,283 for personal purposes, including rides on transport service Grab.

She also bought a plane ticket from Singapore budget airline Scoot for S$712, and spent S$169 at event-ticketing service Sistic and S$490 at travel agency WeekendGoWhere.


On July 5, 2019, she also used the debit card to transfer S$2,000 from Thinkplace’s bank account to her own, to settle rent and other personal expenses.

Juliana left the firm soon afterwards.

Five days later, her replacement at Thinkplace, Ms Lim Li Yi, was reviewing documents that she wanted to send to the company’s accountant when she noticed an unaccounted S$2,000 sum that was transferred to the firm’s petty cash balance via a bank transfer.

Yet there was no record of this, nor did she receive the money from Juliana before the latter left the company.

Juliana’s practice had been to collate her expenditure in a spreadsheet and email it to the accountant.

After reviewing the matter further, Ms Lim realised what Juliana had done.

She told her managing director and filed a police report.

Juliana returned the full sum to Thinkplace in November last year.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chng Luey Chi, who sought a S$7,000 fine, argued that Juliana spent the money on “clearly frivolous purposes” and used the debit card once every two days or so.

Juliana’s lawyer Siraj Shaik Aziz from the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme asked for the fine imposed.

He said that it was not a sophisticated scheme and that his client helped the authorities to identify the fraudulent transactions.

While Mr Siraj initially sought probation, District Judge John Ng rejected this, saying that he thought the best solution was a non-custodial sentence. Juliana also has family support now, the judge added.

Probation is usually offered to offenders under 21 and to adult offenders only under exceptional circumstances.

For criminal breach of trust, Juliana could have been jailed for up to seven years or fined, or punished with both.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#60

Man given fine and driving ban for colliding into woman at HDB car park​

By Lydia Lam@LydiaLamCNA
04 Jun 2021 02:39PM(Updated: 04 Jun 2021 02:40PM)


SINGAPORE: A driver failed to keep a proper lookout at a Housing Block car park and side-swiped a woman, causing her to fall and sustain a spinal fracture and a sprained knee.
Singapore permanent resident Baskar Sambantham, 44, was fined S$3,000 and banned from driving for six months on Friday (Jun 6).

He pleaded guilty to one charge of causing grievous hurt to a pedestrian by a negligent act.
The court heard that Baskar was driving out of a parking lot at the open-air car park near Block 101, Tampines Street 11 at about 6am on Apr 3, 2019.
At the same time, the victim, a 58-year-old woman, was heading to a bus stop on her way to work. She intended to cut across the car park to reach the bus stop.
It was raining and Baskar did not notice the woman while he was making a right turn. His car came close to her and she put out her hands to protect herself, but the car hit her thigh and she spun and fell to the ground.

Baskar stopped his vehicle and alighted. The woman was diagnosed at a hospital with a spinal compression fracture and a knee sprain, and given 46 days of hospitalisation leave. Her husband lodged a police report.
The prosecutor sought a fine of at least S$4,000 and a driving ban of at least a year. Baskar's lawyer asked for a S$2,000 fine and a six-month driving ban instead.
He said it was raining heavily at the time of the accident and Baskar was driving slowly at a speed of about 10kmh. Despite the heavy rain, the victim was not walking at the sheltered path but instead crossed the road in the car park, said the lawyer.
The prosecutor responded that there was no evidence on Baskar's speed at the time.

The judge said a "short" driving ban would suffice to remind Baskar to exercise greater care. He also noted that Baskar had provided immediate assistance at the scene.
The victim's medical bills were paid by her insurer and her employer, the court heard.
For causing grievous hurt by a negligent act, Baskar could have been jailed up to two years, fined up to S$5,000, or both.

 

[taobaoperiperi]

#2
"In mitigation, Chellam said he felt “very remorseful and shameful” and had not committed any other offences in the past three years of working in Singapore."

Another foreign talent under CECA.


Man jailed 7 months for forcing underage girl he met on Instagram to perform sex act on him
By LOUISA TANG
View attachment 93761
TODAY file photo
Chellam Rajesh Kannan, 26, Indian national kissed a 15-year-old girl on the lips and forced her to perform a sex act on him.
Published20 OCTOBER

SINGAPORE — A 26-year-old Indian national was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Tuesday (Oct 20) for kissing a 15-year-old girl on the lips and forcing her to perform a sex act on him.

Chellam Rajesh Kannan, who met the girl through social media platform Instagram, pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of a young person.

Another two charges, including wrongful restraint, were taken into consideration for sentencing.

His victim, now aged 16, cannot be named due to a gag order to protect her identity.

The court heard that he approached her on Instagram sometime last year and sent a request to follow her account.

They began messaging each other on the platform with Chellam, who is married and has a young daughter, knowing she was a minor.

In August last year, they met in person for the first time and he bought her a packet of cigarettes.

She agreed to meet him again the next month at her housing and development block along Yishun Avenue 11.

Three days before their second meeting, she asked Chellam if he could help to buy bottles of cider for her to share with her friends.

When they met at her block of flats on Sept 8, he passed her the bottles and asked her to follow him to a staircase landing.

There, she turned down his request for a kiss, but he persisted while reminding her that he had helped her to buy alcohol.

She eventually kissed him once on the lips before pulling away.

He then unzipped his pants. She tried to leave but he held onto her hand and forced her to masturbate him for three minutes. Afterwards, he quickly left.

In mitigation, Chellam said he felt “very remorseful and shameful” and had not committed any other offences in the past three years of working in Singapore.

He was previously a safety coordinator.

“I have gone through lots of suffering in this case. I lost my job, I miss my family, my wife and (two-year-old) daughter… Mine is a love marriage and my wife is on her own,” he added in Tamil through an interpreter.

District Judge Shawn Ho said that a stiff sentence was warranted as Chellam had exerted “pressure and coercion” on the victim.

The sentence was backdated to his date of remand, Aug 18 this year.

For sexual exploitation of a young person, he could have been fined up to S$10,000 or jailed up to five years, or both.
Read more at https://www.todayonline.com/singapo...G5vdxfGdIJqacKgNwFicwjHEzv1kX2Z4uJquUf-lPjUFI

remorse not goin 2 change anytting

 

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#61

Former nurse jailed for a year for consuming methamphetamine​

Blones Josemari Rico pleaded guilty to one charge of consuming methamphetamine and another for possessing it.ST PHOTO: TIMOTHY DAVID

Jean Iau

Jun 7, 2021

SINGAPORE - A former nurse was jailed for a year on Monday (June 7) for consuming and having methamphetamine in his possession.
Blones Josemari Rico, 37, a Philippine national, pleaded guilty to one charge of consuming the drug and another for possessing it.
One charge of possessing a utensil for drug taking was taken into consideration for his sentencing.
Court documents did not state what type of nurse Rico was at the time or where he worked.
The court heard that he was arrested by Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) officers for drug-related offences in a residential unit at about 5.55am on Oct 9 last year. Court documents did not state how the officers were alerted.
A search was conducted in the unit, and smoking apparatus and a packet of crystalline substance were seized by the officers, said state prosecuting officer Teo Keng Beng.

The two urine samples Rico provided to the authorities after his arrest were found to contain methamphetamine.
He admitted to smoking "Ice", a street name for the drug, at his residence at about 1am on Oct 9, 2020.
The substance in the seized packet was found to contain methamphetamine.
Rico admitted to the ownership and possession of the packet, which he knew contained Ice. He had bought it for his own consumption from a man known to him as "Maplek" about two weeks before his arrest, said the prosecution.
He was sentenced to a year's jail for consuming the drug and eight months for possessing it. The sentences are to run concurrently.
For consuming methamphetamine, Rico could have been jailed for between one and 10 years, fined $20,000, or both.
For possessing methamphetamine, he could have been jailed for up to 10 years, fined $20,000, or both.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#62
Yu Jia "jia yu" and stepped on the accelerator?

Man took rap for female friend in Pasir Ris accident ‘to be a gentleman’; gets S$5,000 fine

By LOUISA TANG
Published JUNE 07, 2021

SINGAPORE — When his female friend lost her concentration while driving and mounted a road centre divider, Ong Chen Yang decided to shoulder the blame.

He later confessed to lying to the police because he wanted to be “a gentleman” and saw that his friend was crying.

Ong, 38, was on Monday (June 7) fined S$5,000 in court after pleading guilty to giving false information to a public servant.

The court heard that he met his friend Yu Jia, a Chinese national and Singapore permanent resident, in a pub on March 11 last year. Their occupations were not stated in court documents.

They left together around 1am.

She drove her car, with Ong in the passenger seat. Court documents did not specify their destination.

While talking, Yu drove over the centre divider on Pasir Ris Street 71 and her car got stuck in the middle of the road. They called a towing service to move the vehicle away.

A passer-by saw the car and called the police, saying that Yu and Ong were not injured but that the car was stuck.

Two police officers turned up at about 2am. Noticing that the car was about to be towed while Yu and Ong were walking away, one of the officers stopped them.

Ong told the officer: “Sorry, sorry, I am the driver, I am the driver.”

On further questioning, he maintained that he had been behind the wheel.

Ong told the officers that he had been driving and was too engrossed in his conversation with Yu, and did not realise that the car had veered near the centre divider.

He also said that he had drunk alcohol before driving. He failed a breathalyser test and was arrested for suspected drink-driving.

When the officers looked for Yu, they realised that she had already left the scene.

Ong was taken to the Traffic Police headquarters in Ubi, where he repeated his claims to an investigation officer.

The next day, the investigation officer took another statement from him and he finally admitted that he had lied.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Sarah Siaw told the court: “He said he had lied because he had wanted to be a gentleman and decided to take the rap when he saw that the co-accused was crying.”

Yu has not yet been dealt with under the law.

Ong could have been jailed for up to two years or fined, or given both penalties.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#63

20 years' jail for man who slashed one boss to death, severely injured another​

After his arrest, Yee Jing Man was assessed to be suffering from major depressive disorder, which significantly reduced his responsibility for his actions.PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Selina Lum
Law Correspondent

June 9, 2021

SINGAPORE - After he was fired from his job, a warehouse worker at an online retailer slashed two directors with a chopper - killing one and grievously hurting the other.
Yee Jing Man spared a third director but ordered his superior to eat a red packet containing $20 that the man had given him for Chinese New Year.
He then barricaded the office entrance with tables and chairs and pointed the chopper and a knife at his colleagues to stop them from calling the police, before he stabbed and slashed himself with the weapons.
The 24-year-old Malaysian was sentenced to 20 years' jail on Wednesday (June 9) for the attack on March 11, 2019 at the office of e-commerce company Jiji in Sungei Kadut Loop.
He pleaded guilty to one count of culpable homicide for killing Mr Lin Xinjie, 29, and causing grievous hurt with a dangerous weapon by slashing Mr Li Mingqiao, 30.
Eight other charges were taken into consideration, including one of criminal intimidation for threatening the third director, Mr Ryan Pan Zai Xing, 29, and four of wrongful confinement.


After his arrest, Yee was assessed to be suffering from major depressive disorder, which significantly reduced his responsibility for his actions.
The High Court heard that he started working for the company in March 2017 after his girlfriend, who was an employee, recommended him to Mr Lin.
Yee initially performed well at work. Mr Lin gave him a red packet with $999 for Chinese New Year in 2018 and offered to promote him to warehouse manager with an increase in salary from $1,700 to $2,000.
Yee rejected the offer, as he did not want the additional workload and stress, the court heard.

From September 2018, his performance deteriorated and he did not show up at work with increasing frequency.
Court documents stated that he was absent for 69 days starting from Dec 1, 2017.

The forensics team leaving the scene where a man was found dead and another injured, at a building along Sungei Kaduk Loop on March 11, 2019. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

Investigators taking away items from the crime scene at Sungei Kadut Loop on March 11, 2019. ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE

He also bore grudges against his bosses. He felt that Mr Lin had scolded him unreasonably and that Mr Li was sarcastic to him.
By February 2019, Yee began to visualise killing the directors with a chopper, especially Mr Lin and Mr Li.
He had a better relationship with Mr Pan, who helped him with his work and talked to him frequently, said prosecutors.
Yee also decided that he would take his own life after killing the trio as he did not want to be a fugitive and felt there was no purpose to life if he had to constantly worry about working.

​

On Feb 12, 2019, after his girlfriend told him that Mr Lin wanted to fire him, Yee bought a chopper from a provision shop. But he eventually changed his mind about killing Mr Lin.
Yee then took the rest of the month off and spent his time at home playing mobile games and searching online for ways to kill people efficiently.
He returned to work on March 1, 2019 but stopped showing up by March 6.
On March 11, his girlfriend forwarded him a message from Mr Pan saying that Yee no longer needed to come to work.
Angered by the message, he decided to carry out his plan to attack the three directors and headed for the office with the chopper and a ceramic knife in his bag.
At about 12.55pm, Yee walked to Mr Li, who was at his desk, and slashed his head and neck from the back.

Yee Jing Man bore grudges against his bosses. PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

​

Yee then swung the chopper at the back of Mr Lin's neck a few times, slashing the back of his head, neck, right forearm and right index finger.
He then threatened Mr Pan with the chopper and the director complied with Yee's demand to put the red packet in his mouth.
One of the employees who was barricaded in the office called the police.
Yee then stabbed his stomach and slashed his wrist, uttering "I have no other way to go".
Police arrived at about 1.05pm and restrained him after a struggle.
Mr Lin was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. Mr Li underwent emergency surgery and was discharged on March 16.
Mr Li suffered significant scarring and still attends physiotherapy due to weakness from his injuries.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#64

Cyclist fined for punching lorry driver in road rage incident along Jalan Eunos​

On Feb 24, 2019, Jeffrey Todd Martin punched Zhang Ping in the face, causing Zhang to fall.

Jeffery Todd Martin pleaded guilty to one count each of voluntarily causing hurt and riding his bicycle without due regard for the safety of others

David Sun

Jun 10, 2021


SINGAPORE - A cyclist who punched a lorry driver in a road rage incident was fined $5,600 on Thursday (June 10).
Jeffery Todd Martin, 57, a Canadian and a Singapore permanent resident, pleaded guilty to one count each of voluntarily causing hurt and riding his bicycle without due regard for the safety of others.
At about 10.20am on Feb 24, 2019, Martin was cycling in Jalan Eunos when a lorry overtook him.
He later overtook the lorry, pointing at the driver as he did so, and stopped in the middle of the lane in front of the vehicle.
This caused the lorry to stop amid moving traffic.
Martin got off his bike and hit the driver's window, hurling vulgarities at the driver as he did so.

The lorry driver, Chinese national Zhang Ping, 33, then moved his vehicle sharply towards Martin, forcing him to step away.
Zhang alighted from the lorry, holding an orange flask as he approached Martin.
Once confronted, Martin punched him in the face, causing Zhang to fall.
Martin later cycled away as Zhang remained in a daze sitting on the road.

Zhang suffered cuts on his lips as a result of the punch, and was given medical leave for two days.
He was previously dealt with, and was jailed for a week for one count of a rash act endangering others.
A 30-second video of the incident had gone viral after the incident in 2019, and Zhang had been arrested within 48 hours.
The same video was played in court on Thursday.
After playing the video for the court, Deputy Public Prosecutor Emily Koh said the prosecution would not be pushing for a custodial sentence, as the attack was one of low harm and culpability.
District Judge Brenda Tan noted that prior to the punch, it was Zhang who had come out from the vehicle to confront Martin.
She said that while the custodial threshold had not been crossed, a high fine was warranted.

For voluntarily causing hurt, Martin could have been jailed for up to two years on top of the maximum $5,000 fine he received for the charge.
For not riding his bicycle in an orderly manner with due regard for the safety of others, he could have been jailed for up to three months and fined up to $1,000.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#65

Football talent scout jailed for road rage incident near daughter's school in Punggol​

The incident happened when Marco Paulo Goncalves Guimaraes went to pick his daughter from Oasis Primary School.PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

David Sun

Jun 10, 2021

SINGAPORE - A football talent scout thought another man was making a rude gesture, and attacked the latter near his daughter's school in a road rage incident.
For that, Marco Paulo Goncalves Guimaraes, 43, has been jailed for three weeks.
The Portuguese man was also fined $1,000 for not wearing a mask.
He pleaded guilty to the two charges on Thursday (June 10) and was ordered to compensate the victim.
Guimaraes is a Fifa licensed players' agent who scouted for talent here and in the region to play in European football clubs.
He came to Singapore in 2004 and founded the Football Management International company in 2010.

On July 11 last year, at about 1pm, he went to pick his seven-year-old daughter from Oasis Primary School in Punggol.
He drove along Edgefield Plains, the road just outside the school, intending to wait with other cars along the road for his daughter.
But another driver honked at him along the road. After he gave way, he thought he saw the man make a rude gesture with his finger while driving past.
Guimaraes then tailed the man in his car, confronting him without a mask on, at the loading bay of a nearby housing block.
As the victim was alighting from his car, Guimaraes pushed the car door, causing it to hit the victim’s shin. He also grabbed the victim’s wrist and they began arguing.
When the victim got out of his car, Guimaraes pushed him.
The court heard that Guimaraes hurled vulgarities at the victim throughout the encounter and put on a mask only when the victim started taking a video with his phone.
Guimaraes also slapped the victim at the side of his head and kicked him before the police arrived.
On Thursday, the court was told that Guimaraes was deeply ashamed of his conduct and was pleading for leniency.
For voluntarily causing hurt, he could have been jailed for up to two years, or fined up to $5,000, or both.
For not wearing a mask without a reasonable excuse, he could have been jailed for up to six months, or fined up to $10,000, or both.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#66

Malaysian man, 46, gets additional 6 months' jail after 20 years on the run​

The man fled to Malaysia through the Woodlands Checkpoint sometime in October 1999, with the help of a friend.PHOTO: ST FILE

Ng Wei Kai

Jun 11, 2021

SINGAPORE - A man who was on the run from the law for 20 years was sentenced on Friday (June 11) to an additional six months in jail for misleading an immigration officer and for missing a court hearing in 2000.
Siva Kumar Ramachandram, 46, fled to Malaysia after being convicted here of smuggling illegal immigrants out through the Woodlands Checkpoint, the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said on Friday.
He had been sentenced to five years in jail and 12 strokes of the cane on Sept 24, 1999.
But Siva fled the country sometime in October 1999, with the help of a friend known only as "Boy".
At the Woodlands Checkpoint, Siva, a Malaysian, used an unidentified person's passport to cross into Malaysia.
He was on court bail at the time, and missed his magistrate's appeal hearing on March 9, 2000, at the High Court of Singapore.

A warrant for his arrest was issued that day, said CPIB.
He was arrested by the CPIB on March 4, 2020, with the help of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.
On April 16, 2021, Siva was charged with offences under the Immigration Act and Penal Code.
He will serve the six-month jail term after completing his initial five-year sentence.
Siva was given the five-year sentence after he was found guilty of a conspiracy that involved bribing a Cisco officer to allow buses to transport illegal immigrants from Singapore into Malaysia through the Woodlands Checkpoint.
The Cisco officer was sentenced to one year in jail and fined $2,800 in 1999.
CPIB said that Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach to corruption.

 

[LITTLEREDDOT]

#67

Man who digitally altered bank records and created fake emails jailed for 14 weeks​

Swiss national Frederic Willy Gaillard committed the offences between 2018 and 2019.ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG

Dominic Low

Jun 17, 2021

SINGAPORE - A 47-year-old man digitally altered his bank account records to prove that he could fulfil his financial obligations, even though he did not have the funds to do so.
Frederic Willy Gaillard also created fake emails purportedly from bank personnel in a bid to keep up the facade.
The Swiss national was jailed for 14 weeks on Thursday (June 17) after pleading guilty to four counts of forgery.
Five other similar charges were taken into consideration by District Judge Ronald Gwee during sentencing.
Court documents stated that Gaillard committed the offences between 2018 and 2019.
Two of them involved purported transfers amounting to about US$6 million ($8 million) in total from his bank account in Switzerland to a company owned by a Mr Peh Wei Siang.


Mr Peh, who mistakenly believed that Gaillard had at least US$10 million, had asked for a loan on an investment venture, the court heard.
In April 2018, Gaillard created payment order slips which purported to show that the transfers were approved and were to be subsequently executed.
The court heard that he could generate the payment order slips using his internet banking account even though he did not have sufficient funds for the transfers.
Gaillard also took a screenshot of his account's overview page and digitally altered it to show that his account was about US$6.2 million.

When Mr Peh later requested documentation from Gaillard to explain why the company had not received the money, the latter created an email purportedly from his relationship manager at the Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS).
The email stated in French that the transactions had raised suspicions of money-laundering and were being studied by UBS' security service.
As part of the deception, Gaillard used an online email spoofing service to make it seem as though the manager had sent the email to him.
He used the same methods to falsify his bank account balance and create another fake email in early 2019.
He did so to deceive individuals to whom former lawyer Then Feng owed money.

​

These individuals were informed that Gaillard would transfer the money to them.
Then has been sued in three civil cases, including one in which he is alleged to have misappropriated over $8 million.
He also faces 30 criminal charges, including for cheating and forgery.
In their sentencing submissions, Deputy Public Prosecutors Haniza Abnass, Tan Pei Wei and Samyata Ravindran urged the court to jail Gaillard for at least four months.
They said his offences were difficult to detect, given the "sophistication of the forgeries and in particular, the use of an online email spoofing service".
For each of his forgery offences, Gaillard could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined.