Former Sembawang GRC grassroots volunteer charged with cheating offences involving over $1.4m

Former Sembawang GRC grassroots volunteer Reichie Chng Teck Kiam has been accused of over 150 charges for cheating offences involving more than $1.4 million. He also allegedly committed forgery by using the name of the constituency's Member of Parliament Ong Ye Kung. Mr Ong is also the Minister for Education (Higher Education and Skills) and Second Minister for Defence. Chng, 51, was first charged in court on July 4. Yesterday (Sept 11), the court slapped another 100 over charges onto him. He now faces a total of 152 charges, including:

• 94 counts of committing forgery for the purpose of cheating
• 35 counts of cheating
• 22 counts of converting the benefits of his criminal conduct
• 1 count of obtaining a personal loan when he was an undischarged bankrupt

Between November 2012 and March this year, Chng allegedly cheated a dozen people of $2,000 to $250,000 each. He is also accused of making a false electronic record on Aug 31 last year by capturing a screenshot of a WhatsApp conversation that purportedly went on between him and Mr Ong. The conversation was about an investment scheme the latter was seemingly participating in. The record was allegedly created with the intention to deceive people into believing that Mr Ong made it. In a statement to the media, Mr Ong said he made a police report on March 22. Chng was also accused of obtaining a personal loan on Sept 12, 2013, without informing the lender that he was an undischarged bankrupt. He was a bankrupt between Aug 26, 1994, and July 3, 2015. Chng, who is represented by lawyer T.M. Sinnadurai, was offered bail of $40,000 and will be back in court on Oct 11. Court documents stated that he has made a restitution of $51,680. If convicted of cheating or forgery for the purpose of cheating, Chng can be jailed for up to 10 years and fined for each charge.