SINGAPORE: Former National Kidney Foundation (NKF) chief TT Durai will begin his three-month jail sentence on June 10, after the High Court threw out his appeal on Friday.

Durai had been found guilty last June of using a false invoice to deceive the NKF into paying S$20,000 to his interior designer friend, David Tan.

In court, Durai was expressionless and had his head bowed down most of the time.

The court heard that Durai has a job with an architectural firm in the Middle East and if he were to serve jail time, he would not be able to make good his repayments to the NKF.

Justice Tay Yong Kwang, however, dismissed the argument. He said the key factor justifying a jail term is that the S$20,000 in question belonged to a charity "whose funds came from well-meaning and trusting donors".

Durai's lawyer, Sant Singh, also tried to discredit the ruling of the District Judge, arguing that the trial judge had not considered the totality of the evidence.

He also claimed that the prosecution's ‘star witness’, David Tan, had been inconsistent. Mr Singh added that Tan had also returned the S$20,000 to the NKF.

But Justice Tay said he has no reason to disagree with the District Judge's conclusion, that the charge has been proved beyond reasonable doubt.

He added that Durai had also been "in a position of trust and authority in the NKF". And that the return of the S$20,000 came about only after investigations were underway.

However, Justice Tay allowed Durai to start his three-month jail term from June 10 because his elderly mother has a cataract surgery scheduled on June 3. - CNA/vm