BANKRUPT BANKER
TODAYonline Singapore Multi-million dollar fraud at SLA: "two individuals are suspected to have conspired with several others to cheat the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) of almost $12 million over a two-year period.
Koh Seah Wee (picture), a former deputy director of SLA's technology and infrastructure department, and ex-manager Christopher Lim Chai Meng are purported to have rendered false invoices for fictitious IT maintenance services and goods which were not delivered.
Koh, 40, has been charged with 249 counts of cheating and other offences, SLA and the Ministry of Law said yesterday in a joint statement.
Lim, 37, and other individuals running the businesses that allegedly provided the false invoices are assisting the police with investigations.
'SLA had worked with police to recover the amounts involved. Cash and assets worth about $10 million (out of $11.8 million defrauded) have been located and secured so far,' added the statement.
While the authority said it 'had in place finance and procurement processes which were in accordance with Government guidelines', Koh and Lim are suspected of scheming together with the businesses, 'thus enabling them to circumvent the checks and balances in the processes'.
Among those named in court documents, Mr Ho Yen Teck and his seven companies appeared in 195 cheating charges that Koh is facing."
