MOTOR INSURANCE SCAM

Motor insurance scam: Police employee accused of cheating

She allegedly conspired with her husband to make 'accident' claims

An employee of the Singapore Police Force yesterday became the latest to be charged over a motor insurance scam involving a staged accident.

Technical support officer Ruhaima Sinin, 35, was charged with two counts of cheating for allegedly conspiring with her husband Mohamad Eznillah Mohamed Razali, 34, in the scam.

Ruhaima was accused of cheating NTUC Income Insurance Co-operative by making claims amounting to $21,887.

According to court documents, Mohamad Eznillah had made an accident statement claiming that he and his wife were involved in a three-vehicle collision along Sungei Kadut Drive at about 4.15pm on Oct 9, 2010. Ruhaima later instructed law firm Catherine Lim & Co to file a claim for property damage to a car registered under her name.

She also made a personal injury claim, allegedly inducing NTUC Income into believing that she was a passenger in the car driven by her husband at the time of the "accident".

A police spokesman told The Straits Times that Ruhaima has been suspended since May 23 this year.

This is the second case this year involving a road accident allegedly staged by multiple people.

On May 9, Ruhaima's husband was the first to be charged with conspiring with Mohammad Shahel Mod Talib to cheat NTUC Income by making fraudulent claims totalling $31,490.

Three days later, Siti Arrayyan, 32, pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy with Mohammad Shahel and Mohamad Eznillah in the scam and was sentenced to three months' jail.

The court heard that Mohammad Shahel, 35, and several others had staged the crash at Sungei Kadut Drive on Oct 9, 2010.

Just last month, four other men were jailed for between six weeks and four months for providing their vehicles and posing as injured passengers in another staged road accident along Sembawang Drive more than four years ago.

Ruhaima, represented by lawyer Sarbrinder Singh, has been given permission from the court to travel to Johor Baru as she and her husband have a house there.

The couple have two children aged five and 10.

She will be claiming trial and a pre-trial conference will be held on July 3.

joycel@sph.com.sg

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