SINGAPORE - An elderly man said to be a director of a firm, who had been charged with acquiring more than $405,000 of another person’s ill-gotten gains, has been given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
But Mr Goh Toh Heng, 80, can still be prosecuted for the same crime if relevant information or evidence were to emerge later.
His charges were connected with an investment scam involving his son, Matthew Goh Tian Si.
In January 2023, Matthew Goh, then 45, was sentenced to six years in jail for misappropriating more than $1.1 million of his victims’ monies in an investment ruse involving teakwood. He had pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust.
At the time of the offences, Matthew Goh was a director and shareholder of a firm called Prosperity Ventures Global.
According to court documents, his father represented himself as a director of an Indonesia-incorporated company called PT Abby Resources Minerals. Between December 2014 and July 2016, PT Abby offered investment schemes that were marketed by Prosperity Ventures to investors in Singapore.
Investors, who were told they were buying a share of a number of teak trees, were also guaranteed the return of their principal sum. A total of 92 investors signed 131 investment agreements with PT Abby, and paid $2,260,000 altogether to invest in the schemes.
Between December 2014 and November 2015, Matthew Goh misappropriated more than $1.1 million of the funds invested. He transferred the cash to his bank account as well as those belonging to his family members, including his father. None of the cash was used to buy teakwood trees.
His father was charged in 2021.
On Friday, the Attorney-General’s Chambers told The Straits Times: “After careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the matter, the prosecution applied for a discharge not amounting to an acquittal in relation to the charges against Goh Toh Heng. This was granted by the court on May 4, 2023.”
Mr Goh, who is a Singaporean, was represented by lawyers Clement Tan, Pi Wei Ng, and Colin Tan from Selvam LLC. Speaking on his behalf, Mr Clement Tan said: “My client and his family are relieved that this matter is finally over... My client has not returned home (to Malaysia) in the last five years as a result of this case hanging over his head.
“He is now able to return home to seek treatment for his numerous ailments and to spend time with his family. We are unable to comment on our client’s ties with his son.”
Mr Goh’s daughter, Ms Abigail Goh, told ST: “After almost five years of grappling with this case, as well as his deteriorating health, my father still doesn’t know how to feel about the (discharge)... He has gone through an extremely difficult time.
“A brain infection that has led to dementia, a second round of stroke (and) multiple hospitalisations. My father and our family have spent every moment struggling to keep our heads up.”
Ms Goh also said that her father feels “immense gratitute” towards the lawyers and is thankful to the prosecution for “their grace and measured understanding”.
