Four Persons Charged For Offences Relating To Obstructing Investigations And Forging The Financial Statements Of Two Football Clubs

The Commercial Affairs Department ("CAD") has completed investigations into the police report lodged by SportSG in April 2017 which alleged, amongst others, the misuse of funds by Tiong Bahru Football Club and a purported attempt to obstruct audits of football clubs that did not participate in the S-League in2017. Four individuals, aged between 33 and 50, have been charged on 21 February 2023 for offences relating to obstructing. Police investigations and forging the financial statements of two football clubs.

The details of the charges are as follows:

• Kaw Lai Fong

Kaw Lai Fong was the General Manager of Tiong Bahru Football Club and the Treasurer of Woodlands Wellington Football Club at the material time. She has been charged under Section 204A of the Penal Code[1] for obstructing CAD's investigations by concealing her mobile phone from the CAD and lying about the whereabouts of the said mobile phone.

[1]Chapter 224, 2008 Revised Edition.

• Gary Tan Eng Chin and Sng Kian Peng (Sun JianPing)

Gary Tan Eng Chin was the former chairman of Woodlands Wellington Football Club. Both he and Sng Kian Peng (Sun JianPing) are directors of ESW Holdings Pte Ltd. They have both been charged under Section 204A read with Section 109 of the Penal Code, for engaging in a conspiracy to obstruct CAD's investigations by instructing their staff to replace all the hard disks in their computers, with the intention of preventing CAD from having access to them.

• Lau Chee Yoong

Lau Chee Yoong was an audit assistant of audit firm, M/s Chan Leng Leng & Co., who had audited the financial statements of both Woodlands Wellington Football Club and Hougang United Football Club at the material time. He has been charged for two counts under Section 465 of the Penal Code, for forging the financial statements of both football clubs for the financial year that ended in 31 December 2015, by fraudulently affixing the signature of the firm's sole proprietor, Chan Leng Leng, in the independent auditors' report of the said financial statements.

The offence of obstructing, preventing, perverting, or defeating course of justice under Section 204A of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years, a fine, or both. The offence of forgery under Section 465 of the Penal Code carries an imprisonment term of up to four years, a fine, or both.

After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case as disclosed by investigations, and with the concurrence of the Attorney-General's Chambers, there will be no further action taken against other individuals in respect of the other matters reported in the Police report, which include, the alleged misuse of funds by Tiong Bahru Football Club and the purported attempt to obstruct audits on clubs who did not participate in the S-League in 2017.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
21 February 2023 @ 11:35 AM