SINGAPORE: A maintenance executive of a columbarium in Bishan has been charged with cheating over allegations that he conspired with a director of a construction firm to cheat the Chinese cemetery out of more than S$1.6 million.
Ching Wai Leng, 81, the head of maintenance at Kwong Wai Siew Peck San Theng columbarium, and Alagappan Muthu, 53, a director at KKV Construction, were each handed nine cheating charges in the District Court on Thursday (April 16).
The pair had allegedly tricked the president of the columbarium on multiple occasions in 2023 into sub-contracting jobs that KKV Construction secured to construction and waterproofing provider Asiabuild Enterprises, a company Ching owned.
The case has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on May 21, after the pair indicated their intent to dispute all the charges they are facing.
The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) noted in a statement that Ching was the owner and director of Asiabuild Enterprises at the time of the offences.
The agency said that between April 2023 and December 2023, Ching and Muthu allegedly concealed an agreement they had made to channel jobs KKV Construction secured from the Bishan columbarium to Asiabuild Enterprises.
Charge sheets show that Ching allegedly agreed on nine occasions to help KKV Construction secure various maintenance jobs, such as plastering, painting, washing and repair works, through open tenders, in exchange for KKV sub-contracting the jobs to Asiabuild Enterprises.
The pair’s alleged scheme led to the president of the columbarium approving more than $1.6 million to KKV Construction for various maintenance works.
Business records showed that Ching vacated his director position in Asiabuild Enterprises on April 6. Alagappan remains a director and shareholder in KKV Construction.
Those found guilty of cheating can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined. - The Straits Times/ANN
