Ex-ST Marine group financial controller fined S$210,000, two others charged

A FORMER Singapore Technologies Marine (ST Marine) group financial controller has been fined S$210,000 after pleading guilty to seven counts of abetting bogus entries for entertainment expenses.

Patrick Lee Swee Ching also admitted to 31 other similar charges, which were taken into consideration during sentencing. The amount of expenses involved in all 38 charges was more than S$126,000.

In submissions, the prosecution pressed for a fine of S$140,000 to S$150,000 rather than a custodial sentence as Lee did not face any corruption charges unlike some of the other accused involved in the scandal.

Instead, he was charged under the penal code for abetment, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a fine.

The court also heard that Lee had shown remorse by pleading guilty at the earliest possible opportunity and had been cooperative during investigations.

Earlier in the day, two other former senior executives of the shipyard were charged in court, bringing the total number of key ST Marine personnel implicated to seven.