Lim Siew Har, a 75-year-old Singapore woman, has been sentenced to four years and nine months in prison for cheating her friend of $646,900. The District Judge Lorraine Ho declared that Siew Har has cheated her housewife friend Leow Boon Tee. Siwe committed the offenses between January and October 2011.
It should be noted that the convict has been charged with similar crimes in the past, at least two times, once in 1981 and later in 2003. In both these times, Lim Siew Har was sentenced to jail on charges of duping and cheating.
A strong message to financial cheaters
"I must say that it gives me a heavy heart to sentence someone to a term of imprisonment at the age of 75, when she could be spending her twilight years more fruitfully with her family members," said the Judge, Straits Times reports.
The judge also added that the decision of imprisonment was made, as the convict has not learned from her past string of antecedents and is continuing committing similar financial crimes.
The judge made it clear that this judgment should act as a 'cautionary note' to all financial cheaters who aim to make money through fraudulent means.
Details of the case
Lim Sier Har and Leow Boon Tee were close friends, and on one day, Lim told Leow that one of her cousins are looking for partners who are interested in operating Singapore Pool outlets. Initially, Leow Boon was hesitant to accept the offer, but later, Lim cleverly convinced her friend stating that she had prior experience in operating such outlets.
The words of Lim gave confidence to Leow, and she decided to try operating the pools. Interestingly, Lim had no experience in operating such outlets, and all she told Leow were blatant lies.
Lim continued her streak of lies, and later, she looted money from Leow stating that she needs urgent funds to operate six 4-D outlets with Singapore Pools.
During the hearing, Deputy Public Prosecutor Stacey Anne Fernandez told that Leow Boon Tee trusted Lim Siwe a lot, as she was her brother's long-term partner.
"Being the licensee of a Singapore Pools outlet is akin to having the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs, where returns are most certainly guaranteed. One should never throw caution to the wind and let one's guard down in exchange for a windfall", said the judge during the judgment, Straits Times reports.
