Having integrity in the workplace is important because it lets your supervisors and employers know you’re trustworthy and reliable. Committing offences in violation of these values will guarantee a hefty penalty in turn.
Recently, an ex-research fellow at the National University of Singapore (NUS) pleaded guilty to filing fake expense claims. By doing so, he managed to cheat the school out of a staggering S$39,452.
As a result, the man has been sentenced to five months in jail.
According to Channel NewsAsia (CNA), Thomas Teh Kok Hiong, 42, pleaded guilty in June to five charges of cheating and another two of forgery.
Eighteen other charges were also considered at the time of sentencing.
Teh was formerly working in the Department of Biomedical Engineering under NUS. During his employment, he would fake receipts and invoices so that he could submit claims for personal items and purchases he did not make.
From Oct 2010 to Sep 2018, he filed 22 expense reports, tricking NUS into compensating him for the fake purchases, which he stated were for research purposes.
Source: Google Maps
Typically, a verifier at NUS would go through the claims to ensure they complied with regulations and had proper supporting documents.
A claim approver would check the claims before handing them to the finance office for reimbursement.
According to Deputy Public Prosecutor V Jesudevan, the verifiers and approvers trusted that the claims and documents were legitimate. They thus did not physically verify if the goods were delivered to NUS.
In two separate instances, Teh additionally forged payment documents to receive approval for false claims.
According to TODAY, these purchases involved a S$203 screw set, S$337 drill bit set, and S$1,668 medical forceps and drill bit set.
He also filed claims for S$480 diamond saw blades, absorbent pads and disinfectants worth S$304, and a manual rotary polisher costing S$545.
In Oct 2017, Teh paid S$300 for the instalment of a solar film for his car.
He then used the shop’s blank invoice to claim S$4,815 from NUS, saying it was a “UV protective film for lab hood and cabinets”.
In Jan 2018, Teh spent around S$1,000 on a labeller and radio for his own use. He then reimbursed this for himself by entering S$2,820 into a blank cash sale document, claiming it was for research equipment.
In total, he managed to cheat NUS out of S$39,452.
As a result of his offences, The Straits Times (ST) reports that Teh has received a jail term of five months. He is to begin serving his sentence immediately.
According to his lawyer, Teh has also made full restitution for his false expense claims to NUS.
Teh could have received a maximum jail term of 10 years and a fine for each count of cheating and forgery.
Considering how Teh received almost S$40,000 worth of claims, this shows his colleagues’ high level of trust in him.
Hence, it’s indeed unfortunate that it turned out this way.
We hope he takes this time in prison to reflect on his actions so that he can be an honest employee when he returns to society.
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Featured image adapted from NUS College of Design and Engineering and MS News.
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