Former director charged for inflating salaries in Singapore

A 45-year-old man in Singapore is set to be charged with fraud on March 20. He is accused of inflating employee salaries to obtain Covid-19 grants through the Jobs Support Scheme in 2020. The former company director allegedly manipulated the salaries of two employees to secure $5,150 in grants from May to November 2020. He is also accused of attempting to fraudulently claim another $33,719 by inflating salaries for four more employees from May to August 2020, but these funds were withheld by authorities. The Jobs Support Scheme was created to help employers keep their workers during the pandemic. It provided cash grants based on a percentage of monthly salaries paid to local employees. The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) used data analysis to monitor these grants and ensure they were distributed fairly. When Iras asked the man to confirm the inflated salaries, he allegedly submitted falsified payslips. He is also accused of encouraging employees to give false statements about their earnings. The man is facing charges of cheating, attempted cheating, falsifying accounts, and providing false information to a public servant. If convicted on the most serious charges, he could face up to 10 years in prison and fines.