Jail for ex-deputy constituency director who pocketed more than $12k in public funds

SINGAPORE - A deputy constituency director at Yew Tee Community Club (CC) pocketed more than $12,000 in public funds, which was collected as part of ticket sales for a National Day dinner it organised in 2023.

Lim Jia Sheng, 37, who was employed under the People’s Association at the time of the offence, pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust and was sentenced to four months’ jail on Aug 14.

He has since resigned from his position.

Lim had made full restitution, defence lawyer Jared Lee told the court, adding that his client had a gambling addiction that led him to commit the offence.

Mr Lee said Lim has stopped gambling and regrets not setting a good example for his two children.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chan Yi Cheng said Lim started working as a constituency manager at Yew Tee CC in 2012.

He was introduced to online gambling three years later and became addicted. He had an account on a gambling website and deposited money in it.

DPP Chan said Lim used his salary to gamble and incurred debts from credit cards and licensed moneylenders.

Lim became a deputy constituency director in 2016, the court heard.

In June 2023, Yew Tee CC began planning for the National Day dinner. Lim and an unnamed colleague were in charge of the event and sale of tickets, which cost $30 each and came in booklets of 10.

He distributed the tickets to groups such as neighbourhood committees to sell to residents. The money collected was handed to him, with details of ticket sales and cash received recorded in a ticket distribution form held by him.

He then decided to misappropriate the money to feed his gambling addiction and deposited it in his own bank account.

DPP Chan said Lim deposited about $5,000 in Yew Tee CC’s bank account and intended to return the rest of the money after receiving his bonus in December.

“However, due to his personal debts, he was unable to return the said cash in time,” the DPP added

On Dec 21, a grassroots leader went to Lim’s office to ask him about the money. He admitted that he had borrowed the money to settle his gambling debts.

The grassroots leader alerted the CC’s constituency director, who confronted Lim and asked if he had closed the account linked to the dinner.

When he indicated he had not done so, she told him to do it within a week and keep her updated.

Five days later, she texted Lim to check if he had deposited the money in the CC’s bank account, but he did not reply.

The director then obtained a copy of the ticket distribution form and found that more than $12,000 had not been accounted for.

Lim later admitted he had taken the money and she alerted the police on Jan 15, 2024.

He is expected to begin serving his sentence on Aug 20, with his bail set at $15,000.