SINGAPORE - A former lawyer who allegedly misappropriated $479,876 entrusted to him by his clients was charged in court on Thursday (April 14) with criminal breach of trust.

Gurdaib Singh Pala Singh, 69, is said to have misappropriated the sum from three clients between 2011 and 2016 while working as an attorney, the police said in a statement about the case.

He allegedly took between $21,000 to $320,000 from each of the clients, according to court documents.

He is also accused of preparing legal documents in 2019 for a client, Mr Tay Kai Jai, even after he was struck off the roll of advocates and solicitors of the Supreme Court in 2018, the police said.

Singh was a lawyer with the firm Gurdaib Cheong and Partners.

In court, he requested to adjourn his case to seek legal counsel. He will return to court at a later date.

The maximum punishment for acting as a lawyer to prepare documents for court proceedings is six months' jail and a fine of $25,000.

Singh also faces up to 20 years' jail and a fine for criminal breach of trust.