18 months' jail for man behind IPPT cheating scheme
A man who took the Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) on behalf of 72 operationally ready National Servicemen (NSmen) has been jailed for 18 months.
Salesman Lim Chun Chyi, who committed the offences between 2011 and 2014, pleaded guilty to 20 of 93 charges on Monday (20 March). The remaining charges were also taken into consideration during sentencing.
According to media reports, Lim was the mastermind of an IPPT scheme that involved him and two accomplices – Nicholas Tan Kun Sung, 37 and Kho Puay Meng, 39 – entering various army camps to take the IPPT on behalf of their NSmen clients.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ng Jean Ting said, “In return, depending on whether the accused obtained a gold, silver or pass with incentive award, the accused would receive the corresponding incentive payout disbursed by the Ministry of Defence to the NSmen as payment.”
A gold award, for example, would bring in $400. Occasionally, Lim would also ask clients to pay him an additional $50.
Lim actively solicited clients via phone calls and instant messages, and also received requests through the same channels. He would then register for the IPPT on his clients’ behalf via the NS portal.
After meeting his clients to collect their identification documents, such as NRICs, he would impersonate them and take the IPPT at one of the many army fitness centres islandwide, or ask Tan and Kho to do so.
Where his accomplices were involved, they would get a cut of the incentive payout.
Lim was caught on 6 December 2014 after a fitness trainer at Khatib Camp recognised him. After investigating the matter, the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) Provost referred the matter to the police in April 2015. Lim’s clients have been dealt with internally by the SAF.
Kho was jailed for two months last year while Tan’s case is still pending. For each count of cheating, Lim could have been jailed up to 10 years and fined.
