Latest news with #criminalbreachoftrust
CNA
6 days ago
- CNA
Former RC manager embezzled more than S$8,000 in payments made to Residents' Network, gets jail
SINGAPORE: A former Residents' Committee (RC) manager who took more than S$8,300 (US$6,500) in cash payments belonging to a Residents' Network was handed two months' jail on Tuesday (Jun 17). Maslina Mohd Yusof would collect payments from participants of courses or events organised by the Residents' Network, or a balloon sculpting interest group, and pocketed a portion of the money. These events included a durian party, a flea market and a Children's Day carnival. The 30-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal breach of trust. One charge of providing an unlicensed payment service in an unrelated incident was taken into consideration for sentencing. Maslina was employed by the People's Association (PA) as an RC manager for Marine Terrace Haven RC on Aug 29, 2021. In 2022 and 2023, her contract was renewed on a yearly basis and on Nov 21, 2022, she was transferred to Tampines Changkat Zone 2 Residents' Network in the same capacity. Residents' Networks were set up by PA in 2018 to promote greater social mixing among residents across all housing estates. As RC manager, Maslina's responsibilities included managing the Residents' Network centre, ensuring that courses and events as well as an interest group were properly conducted and that payments to the Residents' Network she was minding were properly collected. She was tasked with ensuring that cash payments were deposited into the bank account of the Residents' Network within seven days. She also needed to put up statements of accounts for every project under the Residents' Network to which she was attached. From March 2023, Maslina began misappropriating the money, using them for personal expenses when she faced financial challenges. She would take a portion of the cash for her own needs. For example, for the Residents' Network's sole interest group, which was a balloon sculpting interest group, she would keep a portion of the money meant to buy balloons. To avoid detection, she delayed depositing the money so that she could replenish it. She would then deposit the replenished amount after the seven-day deadline had lapsed. This would be treated as a late payment. Between March 2023 and February 2024, she embezzled money on at least 11 occasions. These were related to events such as a Chinese New Year Johor Bahru shopping tour, a Valentine's Day celebration, a block party, a durian party, flea markets and a visit to the Asian Civilisations Museum. She also pocketed money collected from a course for phonics and reading, and from the balloon sculpting interest group. In total, she misappropriated S$8,375 in cash. Her offences were uncovered when a group constituency director's governance team, which had oversight of the Residents' Network, was notified about multiple late payments in 2023. When the governance team asked Maslina about the late payments towards the end of 2023, she would give excuses that aroused the team's suspicions. Further checks then revealed that around S$9,000 was unaccounted for in the records. On Mar 14 last year, Maslina admitted to the misappropriated money when confronted. She made a restitution of S$391 on the same day. PA later conducted an internal audit, which established that she embezzled S$8,375. Maslina ceased her employment with PA on Aug 28, 2024. She made a further restitution of S$7,984 last month. Her lawyer Jared Lee from Regent Law said that his client was truly remorseful and cooperated with the authorities for investigations. He added that Maslina, a first-time offender, is now a retail assistant. She had been going through a stressful period in her life during the time of the offences, Mr Lee said, asking for two months' jail for his client. The prosecution proposed a sentence of two to three months, considering how Maslina had been a public servant who had offended over 11 months.
CNA
6 days ago
- Business
- CNA
Man gets jail after embezzling more than S$194,000 from employer, leaving Singapore
SINGAPORE: A sales agent with a maid employment agency siphoned more than S$194,000 (US$151,600) over a two-year period before leaving Singapore in 2014. Wong Chow Toon was arrested only in 2023 when he returned to Singapore. The 53-year-old was sentenced to one-and-a-half years' jail on Monday (Jun 16) after he pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal breach of trust as a servant. The Singaporean started working at United Home International on Oct 2, 2010. As part of his job, he would collect payments to the company from customers who hired domestic workers. United Home International usually collected fees in two tranches. The first payment would be made at the point of application and the final payment would be collected when the domestic worker began the job. In the same month that he started work as a sales agent, Wong began pocketing money belonging to the company, most of them being the final payments. He would ask customers to pay both fees upfront at the point of application, claiming that this was the company's policy. He would then issue a receipt to customers, which reflected that both fees were paid. However, he manipulated the records in that he would have placed another sheet directly behind the receipt to prevent the carbon copies behind from being imprinted. Then, he wrote separately on the carbon copies to indicate that only the agency fees were paid. He kept one copy in the office and another was given to a driver with the company who would take the fees in cash to the main office. After the company had sourced a domestic worker and the employment had commenced, Wong would use placement fees from other customers to make payment to the company under a new receipt, which would not be given to the customer. Using this method, he collected and embezzled S$87,208 between Jan 13, 2012 and Dec 29, 2012. The following year, between Jan 5 and Dec 29, he siphoned another S$107,156. He spent the money on personal expenses and drinks. Wong left Singapore on Sep 28, 2014 and returned on Jan 9, 2023, when he was arrested at Changi Airport. Of the S$194,364 he misappropriated in total, Wong and his sister made partial restitution of S$74,543.50. Deputy Public Prosecutor Charles How said Wong fled the country for more than eight years, demonstrating a lack of remorse. However, Wong's lawyer, Mr John Koh from Avalon Law Corporation, said this description did not capture the nuances of Wong's situation. He said Wong and his sister had reached an agreement to repay the money in instalments and Wong was supposed to pay a portion of his salary every month to the company. When market conditions took a downturn, Wong's earnings fell from S$3,000 to S$4,000 a month to S$500 to S$600. Wong asked his employer to allow him to resign to seek alternative employment so that he could earn a better salary and return the money he owed, Mr Koh added. His employer refused the request. Several months later, Wong decided to leave for Thailand when he was offered a better job. His employer filed a police report when he left Singapore. Wong's sister continued to contact the company to maintain their intention of returning the money owed, but the employer evaded her correspondence. "It would not be fair to infer that our client had intended to evade justice while also trying to contact his employer for repayment," Mr Koh argued. The prosecution, in turn, pointed to an escalation in criminal behaviour exhibited by Wong as an aggravating factor. He was convicted in 2009 of criminal breach of trust and sentenced to a S$7,000 fine. The prosecution sought 18 to 20 months' jail, while the defence proposed 14 to 16 months' jail.
Free Malaysia Today
17-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Ramasamy to sue those spreading ‘defamatory' posts on CBT charges
P Ramasamy and his lawyer Shamsher Singh Thind (right) arriving for a hearing of a defamation suit in George Town last year. PETALING JAYA : Urimai chairman P Ramasamy has threatened to sue social media users spreading allegedly defamatory posts concerning his 17 charges of criminal breach of trust involving funds of the Penang Hindu Endowments Board. His lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind, said all parties should refrain from making speculative comments on the case, and allow due process to take its course. Shamsher said the charges against Ramasamy were about not obtaining the endowments board's approval for the transfer of more than RM859,000 between 2019 and 2022 for various purposes. Ramasamy was deputy chief minister of Penang and chairman of the board at the time. Shamsher said in a statement: 'It is not that Ramasamy made the payments to himself, his relatives, or his associates. It is just that there was no 'prior approval' from the board. 'Whether or not Ramasamy made all 17 payments without prior approval from the board, it is something for the court to decide when the time comes.' He said Ramasamy had instructed that legal action be taken against those spreading defamatory posts and false information about him. On Wednesday, Ramasamy claimed trial to 17 counts of criminal breach of trust. He is accused of using RM859,131.29 in PHEB funds between May 2019 and February 2022 without obtaining the board's formal approval. Thirteen charges were linked to the procurement of a gold-plated Thaipusam chariot for RM779,131.29 in 2019. Two charges concerned RM65,000 in medical assistance for two persons, while two other charges involved RM15,000 in education sponsorships.
Free Malaysia Today
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Court charges a ‘blessing in disguise' for Urimai, says Ramasamy
P Ramasamy claimed trial to 17 counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM850,000 in Penang Hindu Endowments Board's funds. BUTTERWORTH : Former Penang deputy chief minister P Ramasamy described his court charges as a blessing in disguise since it will help strengthen his party, Urimai. Ramasamy said the court case would help the party attract more supporters to Urimai's cause of championing the plight of the Indian community. He claimed that his party, which he founded after leaving DAP in 2023, was already being viewed as a threat by the Pakatan Harapan-led coalition. 'They (my rivals) are thinking of how to discredit me,' he told reporters here. Such a scheme by his political rivals, he said, would backfire. 'Charging me (in court) is actually a blessing because I think Urimai is going to be more popular.' Earlier, Ramasamy pleaded not guilty to 17 counts of criminal breach of trust involving RM850,000 in Penang Hindu Endowments Board's funds. He was the board's chairman from 2010 to 2023. Last year, the present PHEB commissioners submitted a complaint to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission, after highlighting red flags during an audit. Ramasamy said the charges were politically motivated, claiming that he was likely dragged to court for quitting DAP and setting up Urimai, as well as his continuous criticism of the government. He also alleged that certain quarters were trying to derail his political career through the charges linked to the 2019 Thaipusam golden chariot purchase and cash aid given to needy individuals during his PHEB chairmanship. He, however, said PHEB's decisions were made collectively by the board. 'Every payment had the board's approval. I'm not the only signatory,' he said. His lawyer, Shamsher Singh Thind, said the 17 charges were excessive and lacked merit, adding that 13 charges alone were for the 13 transactions made in purchasing the golden chariot. Shamsher said PHEB's accounts were audited yearly by the auditor-general and that these had been given clean certificates. He wondered why it took so many years for these 'red flags' to be detected. 'These charges are frivolous,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
14-05-2025
- Free Malaysia Today
Ramasamy claims trial to 17 CBT charges
Former Penang deputy chief minister II and Penang Hindu Endowments Board chairman P Ramasamy is accused of using PHEB funds between May 2019 and February 2022 without obtaining the board's formal approval. BUTTERWORTH : Former Penang deputy chief minister II P Ramasamy was charged with 17 counts of criminal breach of trust (CBT) today involving Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) funds during his time at its helm. Ramasamy, who was the PHEB chairman from 2010 to 2023, is accused of using RM859,131.29 in PHEB funds between May 2019 and February 2022 without obtaining the board's formal approval. Thirteen charges against the 76-year-old are linked to the procurement of a RM779,131.29 gold-plated Thaipusam chariot in 2019. Two charges are linked to RM65,000 in medical assistance to individuals, while two other charges are linked to RM15,000 in education sponsorships. Ramasamy pleaded not guilty after the charges were read out before judge Zulhazmi Abdullah at the sessions court here. The charges were framed under Section 409 of the Penal Code, which provides for a maximum jail term of 20 years, whipping, and a fine upon conviction. Bail was set at RM78,000. Lawyers Shamsher Singh Thind, Eng Yuh Pei, and Archana Chandrasekaran represented Ramasamy while Azura Zulkiflee and Nurnajihatul Idayu Azuyar prosecuted. Selva Mookiah held a watching brief for the PHEB. The court set July 15 for mention.
