Chua Chee Boon used various means to cheat people of money as a sales consultant for a hair-care firm He pleaded guilty to four counts of criminal breach of trust and cheating In one instance, he falsely told a salon owner that prices of hair-care products were rising He then sold her goods at a cheaper price, but failed to deliver the full consignment

SINGAPORE — A 47-year-old man, who repeatedly cheated people of money by taking advantage of his position as a sales consultant for a hair-care company, was jailed for two years on Thursday (June 17).

Chua Chee Boon pleaded guilty earlier this year to four charges of criminal breach of trust and cheating. Five similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that he had worked for Topway Holdings since January 2013, delivering haircare products and collecting payment from customers.

In July 2017, Chua told his company director, Mr Ng Goon Seng, that he needed money and wanted to sell a Rolex watch and gold bracelet to Topway to raise money. Mr Ng agreed and bought the items for S$15,000.

A few months later, Chua asked if he could borrow the watch and bracelet to show his wife as proof that he still had them, or she would divorce him. Mr Ng agreed.

Some time later, Mr Ng asked him to return the items but Chua kept giving various excuses not to do so. He eventually admitted that he had pawned them at a Maxi-Cash outlet for S$13,000 in total.

Separately, on 14 occasions between January and August 2018, Chua misappropriated hair products valued at S$11,506. He had dishonestly converted the goods to his own use, Deputy Public Prosecutor Bjorn Tan said.

Mr Ng found out about this when Topway’s accountant found discrepancies in its accounts.

Chua has not made restitution for these offences.

FAKE INVESTMENT SCHEME

In another scam, he targeted two beauty salon owners for whom he supplied products.

In March 2018, he approached Mr Tan Choong Han, who owned Rigel Parlour along North Bridge Road, and told him that he had an investment scheme.

He said that he would buy Biosys products from Malaysia and sell them to other salons in Singapore, resulting in a 20 per cent profit of the principal amount invested.

He told Mr Tan that the products cost S$15,000 and they could be sold for about S$20,000. He would then give Mr Tan S$3,000, which was the 20 per cent profit.

Mr Tan, who had known Chua for three to four years, trusted him and issued a cheque for S$15,000 to him. He also made Chua sign a document to acknowledge the scheme.

About a month later, Chua gave him S$3,000 in cash and asked him to invest again, but with S$20,000 this time.

Mr Tan agreed and made him sign a document again, acknowledging that Mr Tan would obtain his profits and principal amount of S$24,000 for this second investment on May 12, 2018. But Chua never returned the money and kept giving excuses once more.

Chua has since paid back S$5,000. He used the money that Mr Tan handed over to pay off his debts.

As for the second salon owner, Ms Chen Cuishan, Chua told her in June 2018 that Topway would be increasing the prices of its products by 20 per cent.

He said that he could help her save some money by selling hair tonic to her for S$23,000, when it would normally cost S$25,038. He also told her that she needed to hand him cash and not tell his superior or he would be in trouble.

She then paid him S$23,000 but he failed to deliver the hair tonic, only giving her some of it in loosely packed plastic bags a week later.

In July 2019, she asked for her money back but Chua said that he did not have any. He then asked for the products that he had given her, saying that he could sell them and return some money to her.

She agreed and he has since paid her back S$16,500.

For cheating, Chua could have been jailed for up to 10 years and fined.

He could also have been jailed for up to seven years or fined, or both, for criminal breach of trust.

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