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A FORMER senior official facing multiple charges of defrauding the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) to the tune of $12 million is now believed to have started his alleged crime spree much earlier in his career. A widening probe into Koh Seah Wee's background has turned up new allegations of cheating involving $286,000 at a second statutory board. Now, the police are going even further back into his past for signs of wrongdoing on the job. Koh, 40, who is known to have splashed out on luxury cars, condominium apartments and unit trusts, joined the Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) in 1997. Over the next 11 years he was posted to various agencies, assuming positions as senior as deputy director. The IDA sent him first to the Supreme Court, from 1997 to 2004. Next, he went to the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (Ipos), a statutory board under the Ministry of Law, from 2004 to 2007. He was next at the SLA, from 2007 until March this year. He returned to the IDA in April, resigned the following month, and was arrested last month. Eight new charges against him yesterday allege that he tricked Ipos into paying out $286,000 to a computer firm for goods and services that were never delivered, bringing the total number of charges against him so far to 302. Read the full story in Saturday's edition of The Straits Times. SUSPECTS CHARGED SO FAR * Koh Seah Wee has been charged with 294 counts of defrauding SLA between January 2008 and March this year. * A manager in the department, Christopher Lim Chai Meng, 37, faces 309 charges. * Five people from supplier firms were charged early this month in connection with the alleged fraud at SLA. They are Tan Peng Chong, 46, the owner of Advent Enterprise; Tan Meng Teck, 42, Png Teck Soon, 48, and Seah Hwee Thong, 47, all of TPL Communications; and Anthony Xavier Foo Doon Tong, 42, of Ribbons & Rolls Marketing Services. source http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/S...ory_605419.html