SINGAPORE - A man was sentenced to three weeks’ jail after he tried to claim around $8,900 in grants from an employment programme the Government had introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.

       On July 31, Wong Boon Lim, 65, pleaded guilty to one charge of attempting to cheat the Singapore Business Federation (SBF) by falsely claiming that his neighbour worked as a trainee for his company.

       Wong – the sole proprietor of Houten Interior Services, which provides cleaning services – got her details for the grant application by offering her a job when he did not intend to employ her.

       His offence came to light when an SBF officer called the neighbour to verify Houten’s claim that she was attending the traineeship programme.

       No funds were disbursed to Houten.

       In January 2021, Wong came to know about the SGUnited Mid-Career Pathways Programme, which was introduced in 2020 in response to the pandemic’s impact on the economy. It was meant to support mature mid-career job seekers in securing attachments with host organisations.

       SBF was in charge of evaluating and approving the number of attachments accorded to each host organisation.

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       As he had financial difficulties, Wong planned to deceive SBF into believing that Houten hosted a traineeship position so his company would receive the grant.

       Wong then asked his 54-year-old neighbour if she would consider taking up a cleaning job with Houten.

       She took up the offer and provided her particulars and resume to him.

       Wong then submitted an application on SBF’s website, indicating that Houten would be hosting a sales promoter manager trainee position with a monthly allowance of $3,800 for a period of six months.

       Wong forged his neighbour’s signature on a traineeship agreement without informing her.

       After she gave Wong her particulars for the cleaning job, Wong did not get back to her regarding the job, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Santhra Aiyyasamy.

       Seeking three to four weeks’ jail for Wong, the prosecutor said his acts exhibited a high degree of planning and premeditation.

       In mitigation, defence lawyer Wong Ci said that the offence was a one-off incident and his client committed it while he was in financial distress, during crippling times amid the pandemic.

       But District Judge Janet Wang noted that Wong had scrupulously planned and carried out this scheme over a significant period of time.

       Those convicted of cheating can be jailed for up to three years, fined, or both.