Worker faces the prospect of jail time and a hefty fine
A research fellow working for the National University of Singapore on Tuesday pled guilty to submitting fake or inflated claims to the university. The claims in question amounted to S$39,500.
The university uses an electronic system for employees to submit expenses claims. Once an employee submits a claim a verifier ensures they comply with the university’s regulations, the supporting documents are attached and there is enough money to reimburse the claimant. A claim approver then performs a second round of checking before the finance department reimburses the claim.
Thomas Teh Kok Hiong submitted 22 fake claims over an eight-year period and the investigation into him revealed that he was both inflating claims by altering the sale amount and products on receipts and submitting claims for items he had not purchased all while lying that he was purchasing items for work projects.
In this case the verifiers didn’t conduct physical checks to see if goods had been delivered, they trusted the supporting documents were genuine.
Teh has paid the university back in full but still faces the prospect of jail time and a hefty fine for cheating and forgery.
Teh has been charged alongside electrical and computer engineering professor Tan Kok Kiong who is accused of submitting S$100,100 in fraudulent claims to the same university.
