3 charged with corruption, falsifying documents in alleged scheme involving air tickets

SINGAPORE: Three people were charged on Wednesday (Nov 10) over a scheme where bribes were allegedly given as a reward for purchasing corporate air tickets from a travel company. 

Two employees of Majestic Travel are accused of conspiring to bribe an assistant manager at Furuno Singapore in exchange for the firm's purchase of air tickets.

Between August 2018 and August 2019, the Furuno employee See Chun Keat allegedly accepted or agreed to receive a total of S$17,700 for buying 22 air tickets from Majestic Travel, said the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) in a press release.

The bribes were allegedly given by two employees at Majestic – travel consultant Bong Fung Sen, 38, and operations manager Tan Han Ser, 58. 

See, 38, faces 12 counts of corruption for accepting and agreeing to receive gratifications.

Bong and Tan also face 12 counts each of abetment for conspiring to bribe See.

The three accused also face charges for their alleged involvement in falsifying Exchange Order entries, credit notes and company invoices. 

FALSE INVOICES AND ENTRIES

Between November 2018 and May 2019, See allegedly conspired with Bong to falsely bill Furuno for four air tickets worth about S$9,700, although no such purchase of the tickets was made, CPIB said. 

In addition, on or around Jul 5, 2019, the Furuno employee also allegedly provided visa application receipts to Bong, so as to make false entries in Exchange Orders to support a petty cash claim of about S$2,200.

Both See and Bong face four counts of abetment for falsely invoicing Furuno over the “bogus” air tickets.

See faces one count of abetment for conspiring to falsify an Exchange Order for petty cash claim, while Bong faces 11 counts for falsifying entries in Exchange Orders, credit notes and invoices. 

Bong faces a further two counts of criminal breach of trust for misappropriating about S$900 from Majestic.

For conspiring with Bong to instruct staff at Majestic to make false entries in credit notes belonging to the travel agency, Tan faces four counts of abetment. 

“Singapore adopts a strict zero-tolerance approach towards corruption and other criminal activities,” CPIB said.

Anyone convicted of a corruption offence can be fined up to S$100,000 or sentenced to imprisonment of up to five years or both. 

Those convicted of cheating and dishonestly inducing a delivery of property can be fined and sentenced to imprisonment of up to 10 years. 

Any person who is convicted of forgery can be fined or sentenced to imprisonment of up to four years or both, while anyone who is convicted of forgery for the purpose of cheating can be fined and sentenced to imprisonment of up to 10 years. 

Those guilty of a criminal breach of trust in respect of that property, can be fined and sentenced to imprisonment of up to 15 years.