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Woman siphoned over $1.6m from employer to pay off husband's gambling debts

(PHOTO: Getty Images)
(PHOTO: Getty Images)

For more than six years, she forged cheques in her company’s managing director’s name and used the money she siphoned to pay off her husband’s gambling debts.

Wong Huey Min, a former accounts executive with Royal Garment Factory (RGF), misappropriated so much of the company’s funds that she was forced to make deposits into the accounts in order to avoid detection.

Her offences only came to light after she ran out of money to make the deposits.

On Thursday (24 August), the 55-year-old pleaded guilty to 20 forgery charges while the remaining 139 will be taken into account when Wong is sentenced.

While working for RGF, Wong was entrusted with the cheque books for RGF and Royal Realty, which is owned by RGF’S managing director Heng Yang How. She was tasked to write up the necessary details in the cheques before Heng signed them.

Between 2009 and 2015, Wong forged Heng’s signature on cheques before issuing them to either her husband or herself. She, or an unwitting colleague, would then deposit the cheques or withdraw the amount on the cheques in cash.

As she was the main person in charge of RGF from 2010, Wong was fully trusted to handle its finances. When Heng asked to view the accounts, Wong would tell him that everything was under control and that he need not worry about it.

When the bank accounts ran low on funds, Wong made deposits into the accounts to keep up with appearances. To cover up the inconsistencies between the bank statements and company’s accounts in 2013, Wong would forge the bank statements by typing the figures into her computer, printing them out and then pasting them on the original bank statements before photocopying the forged statements for RGF’s record.

Wong managed to evade detection for six years and four months, siphoning a total of $1,674,627.08 from the company.

Her offences were discovered by one of RGF’s shareholders after she was no longer able to make deposits into the accounts to hide her withdrawals in 2014. A police report against her was lodged in June 2015.

Wong, who used the money to pay off her husband’s gambling debts, has not made any restitutions to RGF, which has commenced a civil suit against her.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tow Chew Chi sought a jail term of at least eight years for Wong. He cited the prolonged period over which the acts were committed, the sheer number of charges and the large amount stolen as aggravating factors.

Wong’s lawyer Diana Ngiam asked for the sentencing to be adjourned for her client to attend the last rites being held for her recently deceased mother.

District Judge Wong Li Tein rejected the request as the case, which the DJ described as “serious”, had already been delayed for 14 months. The DJ gave Wong two weeks to “make every effort” to compensate RGF for its loss.

Wong will return to court on 12 September to be sentenced. She could be jailed up to 15 years and/or fined on each charge of forging a valuable security or will.

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