Man fined $5,000 for helping friend take IPPT three times

Lee Rong Ci was fined $5,000 on Friday (April 28) for abetment of cheating. PHOTO: ST GRAPHICS

SINGAPORE - A man who helped his friend take the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) on three occasions over three years was fined $5,000 on Friday (April 28) for abetment of cheating.

Lee Rong Ci, 29, who works in a mining company, admitted to one count of conspiring with Melvin Zheng Junlong, 29, to cheat by deceiving the conducting officer of the test into believing that he was Zheng.

The offence took place at Maju Camp at Maju Drive on July 16 last year. Two other similar charges were considered in sentencing.

The court heard that Zheng approached Lee on July 14 last year to help him take the IPPT. Zheng said he was very busy with work and did not have time to go for remedial training and was not confident of passing the physical test.

Lee, who agreed to take the test, received a message from Zheng the next day informing that he had placed his identity card at the electrical box outside Lee's unit.

With Zheng's IC in hand, Lee went to Maju Camp to enter and register for the test.

At the push-up station however, a Certis Cisco fitness trainer checked the IC that Lee was holding and notice that he did not resemble the person on the IC. He asked Lee for his identity card number and address but Lee could not reply.

The fitness trainer was suspicious and alerted his colleague. Lee was allowed to continue with the test, which he passed. He then left the camp.

Zheng has been dealt with separately by the Ministry of Defence and was fined $5,000 for offences under the Singapore Armed Forces Act.

Lee's lawyer Amos Cai said in mitigation that his client did not receive any monetary profit and that he just committed the crime as a favour for a friend.

Lee could have been jailed for up to three years and/or fined for cheating.

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