At the age of 73, many people are enjoying their retirement or taking care of their grandchildren — that is if they’re not still working.
An elderly grandmother who’s that age, however, is starting a new life in jail.
She was sentenced to 27 months in prison for cheating.
Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
She was accompanied by her adult son to court to serve her sentence.
Tan Hwee Ngo, 73, reported to the State Courts on Monday (15 May) morning at 11.50am, reported Shin Min Daily News.
There to begin her 27-month jail term, she used an umbrella for support as she limped towards the courthouse.
Her son, who is in his 30s, accompanied her.
According to Shin Min, Tan appeared to be barely aware of what was happening.
She also complained of various physical impediments when interviewed.
However, she wasn’t willing to discuss her case, simply shaking her head in response.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Her son said his mother suffered “a great blow” when her final appeal against the conviction was unsuccessful.
Remarking that his mother wasn’t young and her physical and mental state wasn’t good, he hoped the prison would give her a medical check-up.
He conceded that those who’ve done wrong need to admit their faults, and hoped his mother’s punishment would atone for her wrongs and draw the matter to a close.
He looked forward to her reuniting with her family after her release, he said, and also hopes to bring her for an overseas trip.
Tan’s jail term of more than two years is the culmination of a case that started way back in 1999, according to The Straits Times (ST).
That year, petrol station pump attendant Tan Soy Kiang, now 77, withdrew S$53,161.64 from his Central Provident Fund (CPF) account and passed it to her.
He subsequently gave her at least S$500 every month between 2000 and 2013.
The total amount of cash he gave her was said to have amounted to about S$130,000.
Mr Tan Soy Kiang. Source: Shin Min Daily News e-paper
The reason for Mr Tan’s generosity was that Tan had told him the cash was for Mr Lee Kuan Yew — Singapore’s founding father.
A mutual friend, Madam Boo Sok Hiang, had acted as their intermediary.
Madam Boo, who passed away in 2016, also gave Tan up to S$20,000 of her own money.
The ruse was up when Mr Tan’s niece found out that he was giving away all his money to Tan, and made a police report.
Following police investigations, Tan was charged with 169 counts of cheating.
At the hearing, Tan reportedly tried to pin the blame onto the late Madam Boo.
However, the prosecutor noted that Tan had admitted to cheating Mr Tan in a statement. She also said she needed the money to gamble.
She was eventually convicted in 2020 and sentenced to 27 months’ jail.
Tan appealed against the conviction, but a High Court judge ruled on 28 Apr that he agreed with the judgement and found no reason to alter the sentence.
She then requested for a delay in starting her jail term due to health reasons. The judge thus ordered her to report on 15 May to begin her sentence.
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and MS News.
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