by Elena Chong
A MAN who conspired with two employees of Singapore Land
Authority (SLA) to cheat the statutory board of about $297,000 was
jailed for three years on Monday.
Anthony Xavier Foo Doon Tong, 43, then a partner of Ribbons and
Rolls Marketing Services (R&R), is the second person to be
convicted and sentenced.
In January this year, former swim coach Ho Yen Teck, 31, who
benefited about $200,000 for his role in the conspiracy, was jailed
for 10 years. He had admitted to 21 of 195 charges.
Foo pleaded guilty to 10 of 45 charges of abetting with SLA
deputy director of technology and infrastructure department Koh
Seah Wee, 40, and SLA manager Lim Chai Meng, 37, to deceive SLA
into paying between $2,032 and $63,847 under contracts for which
work was not done in 2007 and 2009.
Of the $297,000 involved, his share was about $94,500.
The cases against Koh and Lim have been moved to the High Court
while the cases of six other contractors are still in pre-trial
stages in the lower court.
CASE BACKGROUND:
The court heard that Foo was roped in in October 2007 by Lim
into the conspiracy as a 'vendor''. Once transactions were awarded
and paid to R&R, Foo would be given a cut of the payment made
by the SLA.
Other than preparing invoices according to Lim's instructions,
Foo knew that the firm would not need to do any work for the SLA to
get payment.
Foo agreed to the arrangement and concurrently entered into both
legitimate and fictitious small value purchase transactions with
the SLA.
He could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined for
each offence committed before February 2008, and up to 10 years and
fined on each of two other charges after 2008.