Trial begins for ex-principal accused of misappropriating funds

[Brian]

Trial begins for ex-principal accused of misappropriating funds

By Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 29 October 2012 1334 hrs

SINGAPORE : The former principal of Maris Stella High School who was charged with misappropriating nearly S$150,000 was in court on Monday for the opening of the trial.

65-year-old Anthony Tan Kim Hock, who retired in 2009, allegedly committed the offence in the school on 21 separate occasions between May 2004 and September 2009.

The prosecution is proceeding with one charge - where Tan is alleged to have misappropriated about S$67,700 from the school's chapel building fund account between March and September of 2009.

He was still the school's principal then.

The remaining 20 charges have been stood down for now.

The prosecution has lined up nine witnesses. Three of them - an investigation officer from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD), a cashier from Mustafa shopping centre and an architect - took the stand on Monday.

The court heard that Tan allegedly used the money from the school's chapel building fund to do rebuilding and renovation works for the Champagnat House in Flower Road.

The Champagnat House is the residence of the Marist brothers - the lay-religious congregation Tan belongs to.

Work began on the house in February 2008 and ended in May 2009.

The court also heard that while Tan was not directly supervising the project, bills for some of the works such as stained glass and granite cladding - which involves the adhering of stones to the walls of a building - were sent to him.

According to statements that Tan gave to the CAD in 2011, he said that he had already reimbursed the money taken from the chapel building fund.

Of the 20 remaining charges that have been stood down, 13 of them involve a man known as Peter Lim - whose relation to Tan is not clear.

Tan allegedly used money from the school management committee as well as the director-general of education school fund accounts to pay for items such as seven of Mr Lim's overseas school trips and an open water diving course in Pulau Tioman.

The trial continues on Tuesday.

- CNA/xq/ms

 

[Brian]

Ex-principal had "wide discretion and authority" over use of school funds

Published on Oct 30, 2012

Former Maris Stella High School principal Anthony Tan Kim Hock (left) had "wide discretion and authority" to use the school funds, his lawyer Peter Low (right) said on the second day of his trial on Tuesday. --ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW

By Jalelah Abu Baker

Former Maris Stella High School principal Anthony Tan Kim Hock had "wide discretion and authority" to use the school funds, his lawyer said on the second day of his trial on Tuesday.

The 65-year-old, who spent 25 years as the school's principal, faces 21 charges of criminal breach of trust, but the prosecution is proceeding on only one count of misappropriation of $67,700. The rest have been stood down to be pursued at a later date.

In outlining his defence today, Tan's lawyer Peter Low brought up facts such as the lack of rules in the running of the school and the "hands-off" attitude of the Board of Management, which was to meet four times a year, but did so twice a year only.

A key part of his client's defence, said Mr Low, was that he had "wide discretion and authority" to use the school funds.

 

[Donor]

Aren't they supposed to set good example for the young?

 

[4 Strings]

Ex-principal was "fully entitled to use funds": defence

By Alvina Soh | Posted: 30 October 2012 2110 hrs

SINGAPORE: The lawyer representing the former Maris Stella High School principal accused of misappropriating funds said his client was "fully entitled to use the funds".

65-year-old Anthony Tan Kim Hock is accused of misappropriating nearly S$150,000 between 2004 and 2009.

He allegedly misappropriated about S$67,700 from the school's chapel building fund account between March and September 2009.

Tan's lawyer, Mr Peter Low argued that his client was given "wide discretion and authority" over financial matters of the school.

Mr Low said that there were no rules and regulation from the school's board of management as to how school funds were to be used.

The trial continues on Wednesday.

- CNA/xq

 

[Battle Mech]

Former school clerk testifies in Maris Stella ex-principal's trial
By Alvina Soh | Posted: 01 November 2012 2056 hrs

SINGAPORE: The trial of former Maris Stella High School principal Anthony Tan Kim Hock continued on Thursday with a former administrative clerk of the school taking the stand.

Ms Charlene Soon Feng Huang told the court that she was told by Tan to sign requisition forms in 2009.

These forms showed that Tan had paid for items including stained glass, granite cladding and kitchen appliances.

Investigations had revealed these items were to be used for rebuilding and renovation works of the Champagnat House in Flower Road.

The Champagnat House is the residence of the Marist brothers - the lay-religious congregation Tan belongs to.

Channel NewsAsia understands that the requisition forms are a record for future reimbursement purposes.

Tan's defence counsel told Channel NewsAsia that the forms showed that Tan was "not dishonest in his motives as he recorded his transactions."

In court on Thursday, Ms Soon said she signed the forms, believing that the items listed in them were to be used for the school.

She added that she was told by Tan to sign the forms as a witness.

65-year-old Tan was initially charged with misappropriating nearly S$150,000.

The prosecution is proceeding with one charge - where Tan is alleged to have misappropriated about S$67,700 from the school's chapel building fund account between March and September 2009.

A district judge has ordered both the prosecution and the defence counsel to finalise and file an agreed statement of facts in the meantime.

The trial will resume on November 26.

- CNA/de

 

[Maxima]

Ex-Maris Stella principal takes stand in fund misuse case

Published on Dec 04, 2012

File photo, Anthony Tan Kim Hock, former Maris Stella High School principal, is accused of misappropriating school funds. The former Maris Stella High School principal, took the witness stand on Dec 4, 2012, for the first time. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN

By Jalelah Abu Baker

The former Maris Stella High School principal, accused of embezzling school funds, took the witness stand on Tuesday for the first time.

Anthony Tan, 65, who allegedly used funds from the school chapel building fund to pay for a private home, was quizzed by judge Soh Tze Bian on why he did not declare all the accounts.

The court heard that he declared the accounts in 2009, but not when the Board of Management asked him to do so in 2003.

Tan said that it did not dawn on him that he had to provide details of all the accounts. At one board meeting, he had provided details of three accounts, but not the rest.

Get the full story from The Straits Times.

 

[Hudson]

Moral of the story - Don't embezzle funds.

Resist all temptation.

It is simply not worth getting caught.

 

[SteadyPunPIPI]

Whole damage is the causes of greed.

 

[Hudson]

Moral of the story - Don't embezzle funds.

Resist all temptation.

It is simply not worth getting caught.

One ball-less CCB zapped me here and leave me this message:

05-12-2012 12:26 PMThread: Trial begins for ex-principal accused of misappropriating funds
testing..

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[Hudson]

One CCB bastard zapped me here and left this message.

05-12-2012 05:28 PMThread: Trial begins for ex-principal accused of misappropriating funds
and D.I.Y. hehe

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[Hudson]

One CCB bastard zapped me here and left this message.

05-12-2012 07:03 PMThread: Trial begins for ex-principal accused of misappropriating funds
zap again hehe

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