Two Persons To Be Charged With Cheating, Forgery And Falsification Of Accounts Offences In Relation To The Professional Conversion Programmes

A 43-year-old man ("B1") and a 52-year-old woman ("B2") will be charged in court on 3 October 2024 with cheating, forgery and falsification of accounts offences in relation to Workforce Singapore's ("WSG") Professional Conversion Programmes ("PCP").

PCPs help mid-career professionals, managers, executives and technicians undergo skills conversion and move into new occupations or sectors with opportunities for progression. The programme provides salary support to eligible employers taking on mid-career new hires which is computed based on the employee's monthly salary. The Employment and Employability Institute Pte Ltd ("e2i") is one of programme partners appointed by WSG to administer the PCPs.

B1 was a director of a food retail company, and B2 was employed in the company as a sales director. Between November 2018 and January 2019, B1 allegedly instigated B2 to cheat e2i into disbursing salary support amounting to $14,400. In consequence, B2 allegedly forged two employees' employment contracts, created false payslips in support of the contracts, and enclosed all these false documents with PCP claims that she submitted to e2i on behalf of the company for the salary support.

If convicted, they face:

1. imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine, for each charge of cheating under Section 420 of the Penal Code;
2. imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine, for each charge of a forgery for the purpose of cheating offence under Section 468 of the Penal Code; and
3. imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine, for each charge of a falsification of accounts offence under Section 477A of the Penal Code

The Police takes a serious view against the abuse of Government grants and offenders will be dealt with severely in accordance with the law.