Updated: 09/03/2013 19:09 | By Channel NewsAsia
Man jailed 12 months for offences involving some S$140,000 in stolen money
<iframe src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GPbqQOf41Qc?rel=0" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" width="480"></iframe>
SINGAPORE: A 75-year-old man has been sentenced to 12 months' jail for offences involving stolen money amounting to some S$140,000.
The court heard that in May 2012, Johnnie Tan befriended an American antique dealer in Malaysia called Monica Leslie through a social networking website.
In June 2012, Leslie sought Tan's help to receive payments into his POSB bank account and transfer that money to her in Malaysia.
The purported reason was that she needed a Singaporean bank account to receive the money and could not do so without Tan's help.
Despite the lack of details and his brief interaction with the woman, Tan agreed to help.
On 16 July 2012, Bank Sal Oppenheimer Jr (BSO) received an email indicating that Michael Broder, a co-owner of a bank account jointly owned with his wife, gave instructions to transfer US$85,000 to Tan's POSB account in Singapore.
BSO delivered S$106,598.50, which was the equivalent of US$85,000, to Tan's account on 18 July 2012.
On the same day, acting on Leslie's instructions, Tan transferred S$60,000 from his account to the Malaysian account of a person named Shazlina Bee Bin Zafarullah.
Subsequently, investigations revealed that the instructions to BSO were false and the bank was deceived into acting on them.
In July 2012, Tan was approached by a man named Goh Eng Hock, who also had dealings with Leslie.
They found the transactions suspicious, and Goh reported the matter to the police on 27 July 2012.
Even after the report was made, Tan befriended a man from London, Jerry Smith, and discussed investment opportunities with him in November 2012.
After the discussion, Smith asked for Tan's bank account details to forward funds for the purported investment.
Tan gave the details of his account with Maybank, and on 19 November 2012, he received the amount of S$34,031.05 in that account.
By then, Tan believed that Smith was trying to scam him, and he misappropriated the sum for his own use from 19 November to 24 December 2012.
In the meantime, following Goh's police report, the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) had contacted Tan and questioned him.
On investigations by CAD, Tan surrendered S$119,000, which is about 56 per cent of the money he received in his POSB account.
Tan also cooperated with CAD to help apprehend the person whom he was supposed to pass the monies to.
His cooperation led to the arrest of a Thai national by the name of Thanyarat Jarutraveevit, who was involved in receiving stolen monies and removing them out of Singapore.
In sentencing, District Judge Toh Yun Cheong noted the mitigating factors, which included Tan's age and his show of remorse.
Tan's jail sentence will start from 17 September 2013 as he has requested for time to settle personal affairs.
He is currently out on bail of S$15,000. - CNA/ms
