SINGAPORE: A man who relinquished his Singpass credentials and allowed corporate bank accounts to be set up under his name to facilitate scam proceeds was sentenced to jail on Wednesday (Apr 24) for multiple offences that included drug use and possession of a dangerous weapon.
Muhammad Zahir Johana, 34, was sentenced to nine years' jail and three strokes of the cane, with an additional 450 days in prison for breaching remission.
Zahir was the director of two companies named Imcomz Trade and Infra Tradez, which received S$18 million (US$13.2 million) in scam proceeds in December 2021 from email impersonation scams that targeted foreign companies, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
After getting to know an unidentified person from a Telegram group called SG Black Market Hire, Zahir set up both companies for a promised reward of S$20,000.
He relinquished his Singpass credentials to facilitate the incorporation of both companies and the opening of corporate bank accounts that were used to receive criminal benefits.
Investigations showed that Zahir had reasons to believe that the unidentified person was engaged in criminal conduct, said SPF.
"Although Zahir was the director of both companies and the authorised signatory of the companies’ corporate bank accounts, he failed to exercise reasonable diligence in the discharge of his duties as a director of both companies," the police added.
As a result, about S$18 million in criminal benefits were transferred to the companies' corporate accounts.
Zahir committed these offences while he was under a remission order.
He was also convicted of one count of each of consuming a specified drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, possessing a controlled drug and possession of an offensive weapon.
Ten other charges, including possession of a controlled drug and drug utensils, failure to report for mandatory urine tests and criminal intimidation, were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The police said they take a serious view of scams - a major crime concern - and related money laundering activities.
"The police will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against any individuals who commit these offences and persons who facilitate them by knowingly allowing their bank accounts to be used by scammers to receive monies, hide their tracks, and launder the proceeds of crime," SPF said.
"There is a need to deter these offenders from using Singapore’s financial system as a conduit for illicit funds as it affects Singapore’s reputation as an international financial centre."
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Muhammad Zahir Johana, 34, was sentenced to nine years' jail and three strokes of the cane, with an additional 450 days in prison for breaching remission.
Zahir was the director of two companies named Imcomz Trade and Infra Tradez, which received S$18 million (US$13.2 million) in scam proceeds in December 2021 from email impersonation scams that targeted foreign companies, said the Singapore Police Force (SPF).
After getting to know an unidentified person from a Telegram group called SG Black Market Hire, Zahir set up both companies for a promised reward of S$20,000.
He relinquished his Singpass credentials to facilitate the incorporation of both companies and the opening of corporate bank accounts that were used to receive criminal benefits.
Investigations showed that Zahir had reasons to believe that the unidentified person was engaged in criminal conduct, said SPF.
"Although Zahir was the director of both companies and the authorised signatory of the companies’ corporate bank accounts, he failed to exercise reasonable diligence in the discharge of his duties as a director of both companies," the police added.
As a result, about S$18 million in criminal benefits were transferred to the companies' corporate accounts.
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Zahir committed these offences while he was under a remission order.
He was also convicted of one count of each of consuming a specified drug under the Misuse of Drugs Act, possessing a controlled drug and possession of an offensive weapon.
Ten other charges, including possession of a controlled drug and drug utensils, failure to report for mandatory urine tests and criminal intimidation, were taken into consideration for sentencing.
The police said they take a serious view of scams - a major crime concern - and related money laundering activities.
"The police will not hesitate to take stern enforcement actions against any individuals who commit these offences and persons who facilitate them by knowingly allowing their bank accounts to be used by scammers to receive monies, hide their tracks, and launder the proceeds of crime," SPF said.
"There is a need to deter these offenders from using Singapore’s financial system as a conduit for illicit funds as it affects Singapore’s reputation as an international financial centre."
Continue reading...