SINGAPORE – An employee of Soo Kee Jewellery cheated the company of almost $300,000 over six years, using over 200 forged invoices and making fictitious claims for reimbursement.
On Oct 10, Loh King Foh, 48, admitted to six charges of committing forgery for the purpose of cheating. Eighteen other similar offences will be taken into consideration for his sentencing on Oct 30.
He was a senior regional visual merchandiser at Soo Kee Jewellery, whose related companies include Moneymax Jewellery, Love & Co and SK Jewellery.
In that capacity, he would prepare and equip jewellery stores under the companies by purchasing props and equipment, and was allowed to make payments first before claiming reimbursements with supporting documents.
When making these claims subsequently, Loh was generally not required to state on the invoice the jewellery shop or the purpose for which the items were purchased, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Jun Ya.
Loh carried out his scheme between April 2013 and March 2019.
He first obtained blank template invoices with company stamps from various shops, after gaining the trust of the shop owners.
Then, he filled in the blank invoices with fictitious items and prices before making reimbursement claims with Soo Kee and its related companies.
DPP Tan said none of the shop owners knew of Loh’s scheme or sold the items stated in the invoices.
In total, Loh used 238 false documents to cheat Soo Kee and its related companies of $293,487.
He also forged the signature of one of the approving officers for reimbursement claims.
In March 2019, Moneymax noticed that the company was making repeated purchases of acrylic at costly prices.
Upon checking with the vendors listed on the invoices, Moneymax discovered several problems with the invoices, one of which was that they listed items that the vendors did not even sell.
Soo Kee’s management subsequently confronted Loh, who admitted his wrongdoing. He did not make any restitution.
DPP Tan asked for Loh to be jailed for between 43 and 49 months, highlighting the amount involved and abuse of trust in this case.
“The offences were premeditated with careful planning and execution to deceive the companies,” added the prosecutor.
Calling his offending persistent and habitual, DPP Tan said Loh showed no intention to stop until his scheme was discovered.
DPP Tan said: “He was even emboldened by the fact that he was not discovered at first and made more fictitious claims over the years.”
Each charge of committing forgery for the purpose of cheating carries a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine.
