Former UE Executive Sentenced to 14 years' Imprisonment for Money Laundering and Cheating Offences

On 8 September 2017, one Linda Lee was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment for money laundering and cheating offences. Linda Lee is the former Vice-President (Asset Management) of United Engineers Developments Pte Ltd, a subsidiary of United Engineers Limited (UEL).

2. Investigations by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) revealed that Linda Lee had colluded with several individuals to provide fictitious quotes to UEL for maintenance works. These works were never carried out. Linda Lee had used her position in the company to request, and then certify and award these fictitious works to several companies, one of which belonged to her. When payment for the jobs had been made by UEL, Lee would either keep the proceeds or split the money with her conspirators. In total, Linda Lee had obtained approximately $4,977,400 from this illicit scheme of creating fictitious job requests and quotations.

3. On 8 December 2016, Linda Lee was charged in Court for various offences under the Penal Code, Chapter 224 and Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, Chapter 65A as follows:

i) 25 counts of cheating UEL, by dishonestly submitting fictitious invoices to deceive UEL into making payment amounting to approximately $1,711,800 for works which were not carried out, an offence punishable under Section 420 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224.

ii) One count of conspiring with Ng Shu Jun to cheat UEL by dishonestly submitting a fictitious quotation in an attempt to deceive UEL into delivering a payment of approximately $19,000, an offence under Section 420 read with Section 116 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224.

iii) 198 counts of conspiring with Tan Aik Gee, Wong Weng Kong, Tan Kiam Boon and Ng Shu Jun to cheat UEL by dishonestly submitting fictitious quotations and providing false certification that the works in the said quotations had been carried out in a bid to deceive UEL into making payment amounting to approximately $8,412,500, an offence punishable under Section 420 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, Chapter 224.

iv) 117 counts of converting property, amounting to approximately $2,976,200, which in whole or in part, directly represents benefits from criminal conduct, into purchasing two insurance policies, six private properties, a second hand car and luxury goods, an offence under Section 47(1)(b) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, Chapter 65A and punishable under Section 47(6)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, Chapter 65A.

v) 20 counts of concealing property, amounting to $1,120,000, which in whole or in part, directly represents benefits from criminal conduct, by instructing several individuals to deposit the monies into their bank accounts before subsequently transferring the said sum to her own POSB bank account, an offence under Section 47(1)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, Chapter 65A and punishable under Section 47(6)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act, Chapter 65A.

4. Ng Shu Jun, Tan Aik Gee, Tan Kiam Boon and Wong Weng Kong have also been charged and their cases are currently before the Court.

5. Criminal proceeds derived were subsequently invested by Linda Lee in four properties in Singapore and two private properties in Batam, Indonesia. These were also used to purchase luxury items such as branded watches and handbags, jewellery among other things. Following CPIB’s investigations, several bank accounts, insurance policies and over 500 luxury items and branded apparels with an approximate worth of $900,000 were seized. Of the total sums seized, about $885,000 have been released to United Engineers Limited.

6. Singapore adopts a zero tolerance approach towards corruption and other criminal acts. The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau takes a serious view of any corrupt practices and will not hesitate to take action against any party involved in such acts.

Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau