Lamborghini-driving boss of Eminent Frog Porridge charged with S$3.8 million tax evasion, money laundering

[SINGAPORE] The owner of Eminent Frog Porridge, one of Singapore’s popular late-night dining spots and a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient, was charged in court on Friday (Jul 3) with evading S$3.8 million in taxes and laundering the illicit proceeds.

Buntono, 49, who operates Eminent Frog Porridge and Eminentseafood, faces a total of 30 charges following a joint investigation by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras) and the Commercial Affairs Department. He is out on S$400,000 bail, according to court records.

The restaurateur is accused of systematically understating his trade income between the years of assessment 2016 and 2024. Authorities allege this resulted in roughly S$2 million of undercharged income tax.

Additionally, Buntono is accused of deliberately concealing his businesses’ liability to register for the goods and services tax, leading to a further S$1.8 million in undercharged GST during the same eight-year period.

Singapore law requires businesses to register for GST if their taxable turnover exceeds S$1 million over a 12-month period. Failure to do so leaves business owners liable for back-taxes on all past transactions, regardless of whether the tax was actually collected from customers.

Luxury assets targeted

The case continues Singapore’s focus on tracing the proceeds of financial crimes to tangible luxury assets. Under the money laundering charges, Buntono is accused of possessing properties that partially represent the benefits of his alleged tax evasion.

These assets include more than S$2.4 million in cash, a Lamborghini Aventador supercar and a landed residential property.

Under Singapore’s Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes Act, concealing or possessing benefits derived from criminal conduct carries severe penalties, including fines of up to S$500,000, up to 10 years in prison, or both.

Tax evasion itself carries equally stringent punishments in the city-state, with Iras noting that offenders can face penalties of up to four times the amount of tax evaded, alongside potential jail time.

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In its joint statement with the police, Iras issued a broader warning to local business owners to ensure proper bookkeeping, reminding taxable persons that business records must be kept for at least five years.

The authority also reiterated its cash reward programme, which offers informants up to 15 per cent of recovered taxes, capped at S$100,000, for information leading to the exposure of tax fraud.