SINGAPORE: A 71-year-old Singaporean man who allegedly used his wife’s bank account to wash money linked to an online love scam has been charged in court on Friday (Aug 5).
Lai Chee Keong is said to have owned 5 bank accounts that he utilized together with his wife’s account to facilitate the particular flow of ill-gotten funds from victims of the love rip-off.
More than S$222, 000 (RM718, 970) was transferred by the victims to these checking accounts, the police said upon Friday.
On Sept 18 this past year, officers received a report from one of the victims, who informed them that she have been duped into moving S$4, 950 (RM16, 031) to an not known bank account.
The girl had befriended an unknown person over social media marketing who promised to deliver her a parcel containing money plus jewellery.
However , to receive those products, she was informed she had to make a payment of S$4, 950 (RM16, 031) so that her package would not be held by “Customs”.
Police investigations revealed that the bank account that will she transferred cash to belonged to Lai.
Court documents demonstrated that after getting the funds, Lai allegedly attempted to exchange the money to two Malaysian bank accounts belonging to a woman, Nurul Aidayu Amran, and a man, Mohamad Azizie Che Mahmud.
On Friday, the police reminded the public that they would certainly take action against those who allow their bank accounts to be used for money laundering.
The police said: “To avoid being an accomplice to criminal offenses, members of the public should always reject requests by other people to use their checking accounts as they will be held accountable if the bank details are linked to crimes. ”
Intended for acquiring, possessing, using, concealing or moving benefits from criminal carry out, a person found guilty can be jailed for about 10 years, fined as much as S$500, 000 (RM1. 61mil), or both.
The offence of possessing house reasonably suspected to be benefits of criminal perform carries a jail expression of up to three years, a fine of up to S$150, 1000 (RM485, 795), or both.
Regarding providing a payment services in Singapore without a licence, an offender can be jailed for approximately three years, fined as much as S$125, 000 (RM404, 823), or both. – The Straits Times (Singapore)/Asia News Network