Director of autism day activity centre jailed for cheating social service agency of S$24,750自闭症日间活动中心主任因诈骗社会服务机构24750新元被判入狱
Steven Tan Teck Liang deceived a social service agency into paying S$24,750 in rent and a deposit for six foreign workers who were supposed to stay at his mother's flat, even though they ultimately did not live there.
Steven Tan Teck Liang deceived a social service agency into paying S$24,750 in rent and a deposit for six foreign workers who were supposed to stay at his mother's flat, even though they ultimately did not live there.
The State Courts of Singapore. (File photo: CNA/Jeremy Long)
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SINGAPORE: The director of an autism spectrum disorder day activity centre was sentenced to three months and two weeks' jail on Friday (Oct 9) for cheating the social service agency that operated the centre out of S$24,750 (US$19,330).
Steven Tan Teck Liang, 63, was the director of Blue Cross Thong Kheng Autism Spectrum Disorder Day Activity Centre at the time of the offence. He had been in the position since 2017.
Tan pleaded guilty to an amalgamated charge of cheating at the State Courts. The names of others involved in this case have been redacted from court documents.
The social service agency he cheated was Thong Kheng Welfare Services Society, which operates centres serving people with special needs, including the one Tan was director of.
In April 2024, Blue Cross hired six new foreign workers, and Tan arranged for them to be housed at his mother's flat. He did not tell Thong Kheng Welfare Services Society that the flat belonged to his mother.
Tan asked his brother to draw up a tenancy agreement dated Apr 1, 2024, and arranged for it to be sent to the chief executive of Thong Kheng Welfare Services Society.
The CEO signed the agreement, which provided for monthly rent of S$2,750 and a rental deposit of S$2,750 for a 12-month tenancy period from Apr 1, 2024, to Mar 31, 2025.
Rental payments were to be made into a joint bank account held by Tan's mother and his brother.
The workers ultimately did not stay at the flat as they found it to be in an unacceptable condition, the prosecution said.
However, Tan did not inform Thong Kheng Welfare Services Society of this. He arranged alternative accommodation for the workers, incurring S$6,868 in expenses.
He then signed off on seven payment vouchers covering eight months of rent from April to November 2024, as well as the rental deposit, totalling S$24,750.
The vouchers were approved and the payments disbursed into the joint bank account.
Of the amount, S$6,868 went towards paying for the workers' alternative accommodation, while the remaining S$17,882 was retained in the joint bank account.
The president of Thong Kheng Welfare Services Society lodged a police report on Dec 2, 2024, after being informed that the tenancy arrangement for the flat had been improperly obtained.
Tan has since made full restitution of the S$17,882.
The prosecution sought three to four months' jail for Tan, arguing that he deceived Thong Kheng Welfare Services Society while he was a director of Blue Cross, which it said amounted to an abuse of trust.
"The accused held a management position in Blue Cross Thong Kheng Autism Spectrum Disorder Day Activity Centre and was the person responsible for checking the payment vouchers before they were forwarded to the approving authority," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Law Yan An.
The prosecution said there would have been reliance on Tan because of his position, as he was supposed to ensure that payments were proper.
The prosecutor pointed out that Tan offended on seven occasions over around seven months, and "each repetition represented a fresh decision to perpetuate the deception despite multiple opportunities to desist".
Cheating and dishonestly inducing a person to deliver property is punishable by up to 10 years' jail and a fine.
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Steven Tan Teck Liang 欺骗了一家社会服务机构，使其支付了 24,750 新元的租金和押金，用于支付六名外籍工人本应住在他母亲的公寓里，尽管他们最终并没有住在那里。
新加坡国家法院。（资料照片：CNA/Jeremy Long）
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新加坡：一名自闭症谱系障碍日间活动中心的负责人于周五（10 月 9 日）被判处三个月零两周监禁，罪名是诈骗运营该中心的社会服务机构 24,750 新元（19,330 美元）。
现年63岁的陈德良（Steven Tan Teck Liang）在案发时是蓝十字通庆自闭症谱系障碍日间活动中心的负责人，自2017年起担任该职务。
谭某在州法院承认犯有多项欺诈罪。本案其他涉案人员的姓名已从法庭文件中删除。
他欺骗的社会服务机构是通庆福利服务协会，该协会运营着为有特殊需要的人士提供服务的中心，其中就包括谭担任主任的那个中心。
2024年4月，蓝十字雇佣了六名新的外籍劳工，谭某安排他们住在他母亲的公寓里。他没有告诉通庆福利服务协会这套公寓是他母亲的。
Tan要求他的兄弟起草一份日期为2024年4月1日的租赁协议，并安排将其发送给通庆福利服务协会的首席执行官。
首席执行官签署了该协议，协议规定，从 2024 年 4 月 1 日至 2025 年 3 月 31 日，租期为 12 个月，每月租金为 2,750 新元，租金押金为 2,750 新元。
租金应支付到谭的母亲和他哥哥共同持有的银行账户中。
检方称，工人们最终没有继续住在公寓里，因为他们觉得公寓的状况无法接受。
然而，谭某并未将此事告知同庆福利服务协会。他为工人们安排了其他住宿，为此花费了6868新元。
然后，他签署了七张付款凭证，涵盖 2024 年 4 月至 11 月的八个月租金以及租金押金，总计 24,750 新元。
凭证已获批准，款项已拨付到联名银行账户。
其中 6,868 新元用于支付工人的替代住宿费用，而剩余的 17,882 新元则保留在联名银行账户中。
2024年12月2日，通庆福利服务协会主席在得知该公寓的租赁安排系非法取得后，向警方报案。
Tan 已全额偿还了 17,882 新元。
检方要求判处谭某三至四个月监禁，理由是他在担任蓝十字会董事期间欺骗了通庆福利服务协会，这构成滥用信任。
“被告在蓝十字通庆自闭症谱系障碍日间活动中心担任管理职务，负责在付款凭证提交审批机构之前进行审核，”副检察官罗彦安说。
检方表示，由于谭某的职位，他理应确保款项支付得当，因此人们会依赖谭某。
检察官指出，谭某在七个月左右的时间里犯了七次罪，“每一次重复都代表着他无视多次停止欺骗的机会，仍然决定继续欺骗”。
欺骗和不诚实地诱使他人交付财产的行为，最高可判处 10 年监禁并处罚金。
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