Search the Community

15 years in prison a person can do anything to make money but do it legally and smartly SINGAPORE - For more than two years, he pocketed some S$2 million by selling mobile phones stolen from his employer and used the proceeds to live the high life, buying Porsche sports cars, luxury watches and home theatre systems, all so to project "a veneer of seeming success", his lawyer claimed. Yesterday, Matthew Yeo Kay Keng, 39, a former M1 corporate sales account manager, pleaded guilty to two charges of criminal breach of trust and seven charges under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (CDSA). Twenty-three other charges would be taken into consideration during sentencing. Since April 2008, he would create false subscription contracts for mobile services purportedly made by corporate customers to obtain free or subsidised handsets, a district court heard. Before these could be sent by couriers, Yeo would intercept them with the lie that he would personally deliver them. He would then destroy the fake contracts. In all, Yeo pilfered 3,085 mobile phones of brands, like Blackberry, iPhone and HTC, this way. With the ill-gotten gains, Yeo went on a shopping spree, splurging on watches from brand-name makers like Audemars Piguet, IWC and Rolex, with price tags of up to S$60,000. He also bought a S$170,000 used Porsche 911 Coupe Tip, which he later traded in for a S$200,000 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet Triptronic, and invested in 40 Crossback Arowanas for a S$10,000 profit within three months. Yeo even dreamt of fame, pumping S$300,000 into a movie project called Metalgraves. "He also thought he could become famous in Hollywood if the project succeeded," said Deputy Public Prosecutor Seow Zhixiang. Yeo's ruse was finally uncovered during an internal reorganisation in November last year. In mitigation, Yeo's lawyer Manoj Nandwani said his client had confessed as soon as he was caught by his employers. He added that the father of two children, aged five and one, had rendered full cooperation in helping the authorities recover largely all the ill-gotten items he had bought. At the mention of his family, the short, stocky man broke down, pulling his white prison garb to wipe off tears from his face. Yeo will next appear in court on Oct 21. He faces up to 15 years' imprisonment and fine for each criminal breach of trust offence. For each of the CDSA offences, he can be fined up to S$500,000 and/or jailed up to seven years. Teo Xuanwei http://www.todayonline.com/Singapore/EDC11...to-buy-luxuries