47YO Charged for Cheating MSF to Receive COVID-19 Support of $800 a Month

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in people.

Last year, for example, more than 130 companies returned Jobs Support Scheme (JSS) funds from the government.

In total, the amount returned came up to S$97 million. They even declined future payouts so the money could be put to better use. Other companies donated the funds to charities.

On the other hand, there are people out there who will instead dupe the government into handing them money even when they don’t desperately need it.

And this is exactly what one 47-year-old woman did.

47YO Charged for Cheating MSF to Receive COVID-19 Support of $800 a Month

As you know, the COVID-19 support grant was launched last year to support Singaporeans financially affected by the pandemic.

There were three conditions that made you eligible for the COVID-19 support grant:

• Unemployed due to retrenchment
• Being placed on involuntary no-pay leave for at least 3 consecutive months due to COVID-19
• Having your monthly salary cut by at least 30% for a period of at least 3 consecutive months

So, what should you do if you don’t qualify for the scheme?

Reader: Nothing lah

Exactly. But Rajagopal Malini reportedly tried to trick the government into handing her money instead.

Malini allegedly declared in her COVID-19 Support Grant application that she had been placed on involuntary no-pay leave of more than three months due to the pandemic.

She even allegedly forged a termination letter to support the false declaration in her application.

In the end, however, her application was rejected, and her offences soon came to light.

Faces 12 Charges

Yesterday, the 47-year-old was handed 12 charges in court, including cheating and forgery.

Two of the charges involve the Ministry of Social and Family Development, which she tried to cheat.

Nine of the charges are related to a stolen credit card which was allegedly used to make about $13,000 worth of unauthorised transactions at Nex shopping centre last September.

The woman has also been charged with criminal breach of trust, after allegedly misappropriating $4,015.72 last July from her employer – Colliers International Consultancy and Valuation, a real estate management services company.

With 12 counts on the table, the woman is facing a rather long stint behind bars.

The offences of cheating, conspiring to cheat, and committing forgery for the purpose of cheating are each punishable with a 10-year jail sentence.

And if convicted of criminal breach of trust by employees, she could face a jail term of up to 15 years and a fine.

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