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.