On 10 September 2024, 28-year-old Yeh Chia Wei (“Yeh”) was convicted and sentenced to an imprisonment term of seven years and seven months, with an enhanced sentence of 566 days’ imprisonment, and six strokes of the cane for the following offences:
- One count of being concerned in an arrangement, having reasonable grounds to believe that, by that arrangement, the control of another person’s benefits of criminal conduct was facilitated, and that the other person is a person who engages in criminal conduct, under Section 44(1)(a) punishable under Section 44(5)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (“CDSA”);
- One count of failing to exercise reasonable diligence in the discharge of his duties as a company director under Section 157(1) read with Section 157(3)(b) of the Companies Act 1967 (“Companies Act”);
- Three counts of theft in dwelling under Section 380 read with Section 34 of the Penal Code (Cap 224, 2008 Rev Ed) (“Penal Code”);
- One count of consumption of a specified drug under Section 8(b)(ii) punishable under Section 33A(2) of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1973 (“MDA”);
- One count of possession of a controlled drug under Section 8(a) punishable under Section 33(1) of the MDA;
- One count of failure to present for urine test under Regulation 15(3)(f) punishable under Regulation 15(6)(a) of the Misuse of Drugs (Approved Institutions, Medical Observation and Treatment and Rehabilitation) Regulations.
Another 15 offences, which include theft in dwelling, unauthorised access to computer material and possession of drug utensils, were also taken into consideration for the purpose of sentencing.
Investigation findings
Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department ("CAD") revealed that Yeh was the sole director and shareholder of two companies, Greenhill Rhino International Pte. Ltd. (“Greenhill Rhino”) and Gold Merlin Global Pte. Ltd. (“Gold Merlin”, collectively known as “both companies”). Greenhill Rhino’s bank account received approximately S$2.6 million derived from an overseas email impersonation scam in December 2021. Separately, Gold Merlin’s bank account was the intended beneficiary of an attempted investment scam perpetrated overseas. The scam was uncovered before the victim made any monetary transfer.
CAD’s investigations also revealed that Yeh had relinquished his NRIC number, NRIC image, and electronic signature to an unidentified individual to facilitate the incorporation of both companies and was responsible for opening the Greenhill Rhino’s corporate bank account that was used to receive criminal benefits. Investigations also showed that Yeh had reasons to believe that the unidentified individual was engaged in criminal conduct and that his actions would facilitate the control of the unidentified individual’s benefits from criminal conduct.
Although Yeh was the director of both companies and the authorised signatory of the companies’ bank accounts, he failed to exercise reasonable diligence in the discharge of his duties as a director of both companies. As a result, criminal benefits totaling approximately S$2.6 million were received in Greenhill Rhino’s corporate bank account, the majority of which was dissipated. Yeh also committed the abovementioned offences while being subject to a remission order made by the Commissioner of Prisons.
Yeh was also investigated by various Police land divisions and the Central Narcotics Bureau for offences involving theft in dwelling, unauthorised access to computer material, and drug-related offences respectively.
Under the CDSA, the offence of entering into an arrangement, knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that, by the arrangement, the retention or control by or on behalf of another of that other person’s benefits from criminal conduct is facilitated, and having reasonable grounds to believe that that other person is a person who engages in or has engaged in criminal conduct, carries a punishment of up to ten years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both.
Any person who commits a breach of Section 157(1) of the Companies Act shall be guilty of an offence punishable under Section 157(3)(b) of the same Act and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding S$5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months.
Scams, such as those perpetrated online and/or from overseas, are a major crime concern. Singapore takes a serious view on scams and related money laundering activities. The Police will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against any individuals who commit these offences and persons who facilitate them by knowingly allowing their bank accounts to be used by scammers to receive monies, hide their tracks, and launder the proceeds of crime. There is a need to deter these offenders from using Singapore’s financial system as a conduit for illicit funds as it affects Singapore’s reputation as an international financial centre.
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
10 September 2024 @ 2:50 PM