Two men to be charged with cheating offences over Covid-19 government grants
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SINGAPORE – Two men are due to be charged on July 30 with cheating offences relating to government grant schemes introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic.
One of them, 30, was the director of two companies and is suspected of cheating Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG) of $33,120 in E-Commerce Booster Package grants, said the police on July 29.
He also allegedly tried to dupe the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) into disbursing a total of almost $34,000 in Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) grants to both firms under his directorship.
The man reportedly tried to fool the tax authority into believing that 10 employees of one company were paid in full for the month of May 2020, for $30,188 in JSS grants.
The second man to be charged, 59, allegedly abetted the director by funding the Central Provident Fund contributions for the 10 employees. Their salaries were inflated to qualify for the JSS payouts and employees were later made to pay back the wages to the director, said police.
The 30-year-old man also falsely declared someone to be an employee of the second firm in May 2020 in the hopes of receiving $3,375 in JSS grants.
These attempts failed and the JSS grants were withheld, said the police.
However, he successfully got a total of $33,120 in E-commerce Booster Package grants for both companies from EnterpriseSG by falsely declaring in April and May 2021 that wages were paid to employees in 2020 and 2021, police added.
The two government grant schemes were introduced as temporary measures to support local businesses through the pandemic when safe management measures impeded usual operations. Both have since ceased.
Under the JSS, the government co-funded between a quarter and 75 per cent of the gross monthly wages paid to local employees through cash grants to eligible employers, subject to Iras’ approval.
The taxman could adjust or deny payouts to employers unable to prove their eligibility, said the police.
The e-commerce grant, administered by EnterpriseSG, defrayed the cost of moving businesses online and digital marketing. It included support for up to 90 per cent of qualifying costs and wage support for up to three employees for three months.
Those found guilty of cheating, attempted cheating or conspiracy to cheat may be jailed for up to 10 years and fined.
