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On 27 February 2025, 52-year-old Kee Boon Ping, Albert (Ji Wenbin) (“Albert”) was convicted and sentenced to 42 months’ imprisonment for the following offences:

1. Two counts under Section 420 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code and amalgamated under Section 124(4) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, for abetting by engaging in a conspiracy with another to cheat Hakuto Singapore Pte Ltd (“Hakuto”). 
2. Two counts under Section 47(1)(c) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (“CDSA”) and amalgamated under Section 124(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code 2010, for acquiring benefits from criminal conduct.

Another eight charges of money laundering, abetting by engaging in a conspiracy to cheat and falsification of accounts were taken into consideration for the purposes of sentencing.

Background

Sometime in 2018, Hakuto discovered that Albert, a senior manager in the Sales Department in Hakuto, had allegedly created fictitious purchase orders for programming and baking services on semiconductors from a supplier in Singapore. Hakuto’s internal regulations required Albert to seek a director’s approval before a purchase order could be issued to suppliers. After a service was performed, the supplier would issue invoices to Hakuto for payment, and the Finance Department would issue payment cheques to the supplier.

Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department (“CAD”) revealed that sometime before 2015, Albert conspired with Koh Kok Liang (“Koh”), the sole proprietor of Advantronics Datanet Solution Trading, to cheat Hakuto. Albert would issue fictitious purchase orders, using Hakuto’s letterhead, to Koh for programming and baking services that he knew were not required and which the supplier had no requisite capabilities of providing. Court proceedings against Koh are currently ongoing.

CAD’s investigations showed that through this arrangement, Albert abetted by engaging in a conspiracy with Koh to cheat Hakuto. In pursuance of that conspiracy, Albert dishonestly induced Hakuto to deliver a total of USD677,195.51 between 2015 and 2018.

Upon receipt of the cheques from Hakuto, Koh would deposit the cheques into his sole proprietorship’s bank accounts. Once the cheque has been cleared, Koh would withdraw the funds before splitting the proceeds with Albert. Albert admitted to receiving a total of SGD350,717.61 between 2015 and 2018, which directly represented his benefits from the above arrangement.

Any person who commits an offence under Section 420 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code shall be liable on conviction to a fine and to imprisonment for a term which may extend to 10 years. Any person who commits an offence under Section 47(1)(c) of the CDSA (or Section 54(1)(c) of the CDSA 1992) shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $500,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 10 years or to both.