Former NTUC chairman and former People’s Action Party MP Phey Yew Kok, 81, has been sentenced to 60 months or 5 years of imprisonment on Friday after pleading guilty to 12 charges against him.
The charges against Phey include committing ten counts of criminal breach of trust amounting to S$243,877.60, one count of abetting the fabrication of false evidence to a public servant and one count of failing to attend court when ordered to by a judicial officer.
Another 22 charges were taken into consideration in sentencing him which Phey consented to.
Phey joined the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) as an industrial relations officer in 1964, and was appointed NTUC president just six years later, at the age of 35. He was elected as Member of Parliament for Boon Teck constituency in 1972 under the PAP’s banner and held the position for eight years till 1980.
Phey was first charged in December 1979 with four counts of criminal breach of trust involving more than S$80,000, and other offences under the Trades Union Act involving more than S$17,500.
After being first charged in December 1979, he was expected to return to court on Jan 7, 1980. But on New Year’s Eve, he took a train to Kuala Lumpur and went to Bangkok where he is presumed to have spent the last 30 over years in. By jumping bail, Phey caused his two bailors to forfeit $95,000 of the $100,000 they put up for him.
Earlier on the 22nd of June 2015, Phey surrendered himself to the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok after running away from his charges for 30 over years. He was then accompanied back to Singapore by CPIB officers on the 23rd of June 2015.
A month later after his surrender, Phey was slapped with another 28 charges, mostly involving more criminal breach of trust offences he had allegedly committed between April 1973 and June 1979 which amount to more than $450,000, almost five times the $100,000 in union funds he was originally charged with misappropriating in 1979.
The fresh charges involved criminal breach of trust, abetting the fabrication of evidence, abetting the provision of false information to a public servant, and misappropriating more than $200,000 in supermarket goods. He had allegedly took money from the International Metalworkers Federation and Boon Teck Education Centre belonging to the PAP, and his new charges included one of absconding while on bail.
He is also accused of dipping into the staff funds of the Singapore Industrial Labour Organisation (SILO), and the Pioneer Industries Employees Union (PIEU). Phey had served as General Secretary in both SILO and PIEU
The 60 months jail term will be backdated to June 23, 2015, the date of his remand, meaning he would be released in 2020 or earlier if Phey shows good conduct during his imprisonment.
For criminal breach of trust, the maximum sentence for a convicted offence carries a penalty of up to 7 years of imprisonment or fine or both.
PAP’s Secretary-General and Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong has earlier said on his Facebook about Phey’s arrest, “We have maintained a clean and non-corrupt system in Singapore for half a century because we have zero tolerance for corruption. When we discover wrongdoing, we do not hesitate to act. We will not allow any cover up, even when it is awkward or embarrassing for the Government.

Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
You May Also Like

Family service centre rejects family’s request without referral to appropriate agencies

A member of the public, John Lok, wrote an open letter to…

裘佐柏:论尚达曼的“神奇社会扶梯”去了哪?

本月13日(昨日)《海峡时报》报导,国务资政兼社会政策统筹部长尚达曼,赴伦敦出席一项活动时表示,决策者必须谨记于心,在规划基本经济和社会政策,社会需要一个确保所有人都往上移的“电动扶梯”。 他强调,必须关注贫富不均和社会流动性,而应对这两大课题的最佳方案,就是确保收入和社会流动的绝对增长,让所有人都能一起向上,达成更优质的生活。 “如果这个电扶梯静止不动,就很难解决不均和促进社会流动… 我们需要的是会向上移动的扶梯,”他是在伦敦的英国政府智囊机构(British think-tank Institute for Government)十周年论坛上,向与会的百位嘉宾如是阐述他的社会政策观。 然而,本地律师兼知名时评人裘佐柏就揶揄,就他所见许多普通老百姓,并没有“向上移动”,所以不知尚达曼的经济扶梯论,是要带大家移动到哪? 裘佐柏是一名致力推动建设性改革的非执业律师,公认为是一名受瞩目的国内时事评论员之一,也勇于对他认为正确的信念站出来发声。 经济增长的神奇扶梯 他直言,对于社会和收入不均问题,人民行动党政府最重要的拆招手段就是“确保扶梯继续向上”,这是他们“经济增长的神奇扶梯”,足以把贫富不均变成历史。…

就业准证薪金门槛调至4500元

根据人力部声明,从9月1日起,本地就业准证(EP)最低薪金门槛,将从现有的3900元,再调至4500元。 至于S准证薪资门槛,也会从10月1日起,调至2500元。 政府也会调整金融服务领域就业准证新申请者的薪金门槛,至5千元。 年长、富经验申请者,则需符合更高最低薪金标准。若明年准证持有者更新准证,也需符合上述薪金标准。 此外,即使是申请S准证的雇主,10月1日起也许遵守公平考量框架!他们同样要到全国职库刊登招聘广告。刊登招聘广告的时间也将从目前的14天延长到28天。 人力部长杨莉明也呼吁,雇主应为本地人提供公平就业机会,并强调企业应努力建立和保留新加坡人核心。