Woman jailed 7.5 years for stealing more than S$2m
SINGAPORE — A 53-year-old who siphoned more than S$2 million from her two employers in two years was sentenced to seven-and-a-half years’ jail on Tuesday (June 21).
Chow Lai Hoong — who pleaded guilty earlier this month to 40 charges of forgery, criminal breach of trust by a servant, and using her criminal proceeds for other purposes — had “substantially abused” the trust placed on her by her former employers, Paw Leck Engineering and Crown Construction.
When she was given access to the Crown Construction’s cheque books, for instance, the former accounts executive forged and encashed cheques for herself. She also tried to cover up the misappropriation of monies by using false claims.
Calling Chow a recalcitrant and habitual offender, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ang Siok Chen pointed out that her offending behaviour escalated over the two years. Between June and August 2013, Chow pocketed about S$91,000 from Paw Leck Engineering. While working for Crown Construction from December 2013 to September last year, her loot went up 25-fold, amounting to almost S$2,290,000.
DPP Ang also noted that Chow continued her wrongdoing against Crown Construction while on bail for a first set of offences involving Paw Leck Engineering.
“This showed that she is not genuinely remorseful and warrants a greater need for specific deterrence,” the DPP said.
More than S$700,000 of Chow’s criminal proceeds was blown off at the casino. No restitution was made.
Pleading for a “less crushing” term of six to seven years’ jail, defence lawyer Amarjit Singh told the court that Chow’s family is in a “tight financial situation” and the mother of three children in their 20s is usually the one who pays for her husband’s surgeries and medical bills. She also provides financial support to her younger sister, who is unemployed.
Mr Singh also said that Chow was in “dire financial straits” due to mounting debts incurred from a gambling addiction, but DPP Ang countered that the debts were “self-inflicted” because the “addiction” was not a medical condition.
Chow could have been jailed up to 15 years and fined for each charge of forgery and criminal breach of trust.
