Ex-PAP branch treasurer jailed for embezzling more than $78K
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Ex-PAP branch treasurer jailed for embezzling more than S$78k
SINGAPORE: As treasurer for the People’s Action Party (PAP) Aljunied-Kembangan branch since 2004, it was Peter Lee Yoke Leong’s job to sort out the division’s bank accounts.
But the 43-year-old, now unemployed, decided to dip his hand into the branch’s coffers - an act that landed him in jail for eight months on Tuesday.
According to court documents, the branch was closed after the 2006 General Election and merged with the PAP Kampong Ubi branch, to form the PAP Kampong Ubi-Kembangan office.
Lee - one of the authorised signatories of the old branch’s current account with DBS Bank - was then tasked to close the account and transfer the residual funds to the account of the new office.
On Jan 2, 2007, he prepared a cheque for S$50,000 and cashed it at a DBS Bank branch at Raffles Place. But instead of banking the money into the Kampong Ubi-Kembangan account, he pocketed the cash.
Four months later, Lee withdrew another S$28,461.46 from the same account. In all, the former grassroots leader - who used to earn S$18,000 a month in a broking firm until he was retrenched in March 2007 - pocketed S$78,461.46.
Yesterday, he was jailed after pleading guilty to embezzling the cash between February 2 and June 27, 2007.
His crime was uncovered when the executive director of the PAP headquarters, Lau Ping Sum, lodged a police report on Aug 1 when officials noticed a discrepancy in the branch accounts.
Officers from the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) arrested Mr Lee days later.
Lawyer Mr Noor Mohamed Marican pleaded for the court to be lenient to his client, a first time offender and father of two. Mr Noor also produced testimonials from Kampong Ubi-Kembangan Citizens’ Consultative Committee (CCC) members, who attested to Mr Lee’s contributions to the ward.
District Judge Liew Thiam Leng noted that while Lee has paid back the money he misappropriated, the sum was nonetheless sizeable. Hence, a lengthy custodial sentence was necessary, especially as Lee had been holding a position of trust.
For criminal breach of trust, he could have been jailed for up to three years and/or fined. - TODAY/ra -
i am surprised that there is no cover up.... ha ha....
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Again another Lee.
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Getting more and more ex PAP members commiting this crime, ha ha ha!
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No shit, he was making 18K a month before he was retrenched.
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This one must be a stupid lee, other lees take billions without any problems, this lee just 78k only, kenna arrested.
Should be taken more, like 78 millions and run.....
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Originally posted by angel7030:
This one must be a stupid lee, other lees take billions without any problems, this lee just 78k only, kenna arrested.
Should be taken more, like 78 millions and run.....
maybe this lee did not pay off the other lee.... did not make a leeway for his crime. -
did you just accuse some lee of embezzlement?
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8 months for near 80k. stilll got 10k a month sia.
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Originally posted by alwaysdisturbed:
8 months for near 80k. stilll got 10k a month sia.
what makes you think he gets to keep the moolah
frankly, i've worked with these grARSEroots fellas.. i can't bring myself to trust any of them..
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Originally posted by skythewood:
did you just accuse some lee of embezzlement?
Some lees dun even need to take in the name of embezzlement, they just suck you dry man. -
Originally posted by Chin Eng:
i am surprised that there is no cover up.... ha ha....
Cover up a small fry for what?
The anti-coruption agency must be perceived as doing it's job.
Be honest with yourself. Usually it's the powerful people that get away while the unimportant ones are caught.
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Originally posted by googoomuck:
Cover up a small fry for what?
The anti-coruption agency must be perceived as doing it's job.
Be honest with yourself. Usually it's the powerful people that get away while the unimportant ones are caught.
Ya got that right! -
Originally posted by the Bear:
what makes you think he gets to keep the moolahfrankly, i've worked with these grARSEroots fellas.. i can't bring myself to trust any of them..
thats what i told my previous boss when i descibed a guy who came to look for him, turns out its some grassroot guy who came over to ask my boss to donate money for charity and that sort of stuff, and i was told they visit every now and then and it "speeds up the admin staff" when ever they need anything done i was like wtf isn't that corruption? except its not for the guy receiving it?
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graft.
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Originally posted by angel7030:
This one must be a stupid lee, other lees take billions without any problems, this lee just 78k only, kenna arrested.
Should be taken more, like 78 millions and run.....
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hey, there's another thread, let's go post in that one.
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I see someone posting an article from a media he vehemently detests due to it spreading government propaganda. That said, people were advised to read anything from the Singapore media.
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wahh $80,000, 8 month jail seem too short. this is daylight robber. if ordinary people caught for robber few hundred dollar get more than that bro... is the case post on the front page?