SINGAPORE \u2013 All remaining seven charges faced by <\/p>\n a man linked to a housing loan scam<\/p>\n <\/a> have been withdrawn, and a district court granted a discharge amounting to an acquittal for them in November.<\/p>\n This means Bijabahadur Rai Shree Kantrai, 55, cannot be charged again with the same offences. <\/p>\n The Singaporean was part of a group of five people who worked together on a ruse that led to a bank being duped into disbursing mortgage loans totalling more than $5.1 million.<\/p>\n In an earlier statement, the police said that between 2014 and 2015, Rai devised a scheme to perpetrate mortgage loan frauds involving two properties<\/p>\n The bank then incurred a loss of over $1.79 million.<\/p>\n The fraud was eventually uncovered when nominee buyers linked to the ruse defaulted on the loans.<\/p>\n Rai was earlier sentenced to 7\u00bd years\u2019 jail in August 2024 after he was convicted of multiple charges for offences including cheating. <\/p>\n Seven other charges \u2013 the remaining ones \u2013 were then slated to be dealt with at a later date.<\/p>\n He later appealed against his conviction and sentence.<\/p>\n Responding on Dec 3 to queries from The Straits Times, the Attorney-General\u2019s Chambers (AGC) said that in April, the High Court dismissed his appeal against his conviction and sentence.<\/p>\n Without revealing details, an AGC spokesperson added: \u201cFurther, the High Court allowed the prosecution\u2019s appeal against the sentences imposed and increased his aggregate sentence to 11 years\u2019 imprisonment.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the matter… the prosecution applied for a discharge amounting to an acquittal for (Rai\u2019s seven remaining) charges.\u201d<\/p>\n The court granted it on Nov 26.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>\n