The News
- T. T. DURAI went to jail yesterday, but it was not the end of his troubles that stemmed from his leadership of the National Kidney Foundation.
He is to serve three months in jail for using a fake invoice to deceive the charity into paying $20,000 to an interior designer friend.
He may have a month shaved off the jail term for ‘good behaviour’.
The 59-year old still has an outstanding charge to answer: of using a false invoice to approve a $5,000 payment to an advertising company. A court conference will be held next month.
He was cheery before media photographers when he appeared at the Subordinate Courts to turn himself in yesterday morning.
But it was a solemn and pensive Durai who left his Fort Road bungalow earlier in a champagne-coloured Honda Civic.
Durai, with a briefcase in hand, was accompanied by his elder son, Shiva, 23, into court. After a pat on Shiva’s left arm and a hug, he said ’see you’ before surrendering himself.
His journey to jail can be dated from July 2005 when a defamation suit he lost led to inquiries into the affairs of Singapore’s biggest charity.
Durai and the NKF board resigned en masse, and various government agencies went over the charity’s books with a fine tooth comb.
He lost a civil suit filed by the NKF’s new leadership in February last year, and was ordered to pay $4 million in damages. He has paid $1.4 million so far.
Criminal charges were brought against him in 2006. His appeal against his conviction and sentence was turned down 10 days ago.
Even as Durai begins to serve time in prison, the charity’s former chairman Richard Yong, who was jailed for 15 months last September, is now a free man.
Mr Yong - who had been on a home detention scheme since January - had his electronic tag removed last Thursday.
The 66-year-old had been convicted under the Bankruptcy Act of illegally transferring almost $4 million into his wife’s overseas bank account.
He had skipped town with his wife for Hong Kong, but was caught there and repatriated back to Singapore. His wife, On Shu Kio, 63, is still remanded in Hong Kong where she faces a charge of money laundering.
[from StraitsTimes]
My Thoughts
Upon reading this news on the front page of the Straits Times today, i was in disbelief.
He was charged for something smaller than what he did overall in the NKF saga, he only got 3 months sentence and probably gonna stay for 2 months by having good conduct and worst, after so many inquiries, this was only what he is supposed to get? (on top of a fine that he was suppose to return the money he has taken)
And, wasn’t he supposedly declared bankrupt?(he didn’t even pay up his full 4 million yet)
And he’s living in a bungalow?
Cool.
What’s your view?
4 Comments
Agreed.
I find it preposterous that a white collar criminal like TT Durai can get so much leeway. Mind you, he misappropriated PUBLIC funds as well as public’s donations.
He should be jailed for more than a year at least. Think about the number of people who were denied the chance of treatment thanks to his golden tap.
Then again, perhaps its because of Mrs Goh Chok Tong’s influence that made the courts find something less to charge him with as well as make Richard Yong the ultimate scapegoat.
Pathetic. This is such an unfair and unjust punishment for Durai. They think we’re stupid, and we’ll forget about this.
Well don’t count your chickens before they hatch. 2011. The people will not forget.
I’m sick of the current administration. I’m absolutely tired and sick.
Hmm, well said dude.
When the issue dies down, people just forget about it and he gets away with it. Wierd :\
Throughout the trial and until today he insists he did no wrong.
In order to appease the public outrage, they had to dig up something. But at the same time they could not dig too deep because remember this was in 2005 and the general elections was then less than a year away. That sensitivity is evidenced when an article questioning the practice of non-accountability and transparency led to the SDP being sued.
So this is the situation today. They are trying hard to get the public to “move on”. It is a total sham and farce.
i see, that’s a new insight, thanks
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[...] NKF Closure? - BothSidesOfTheJohorStraits: So, what must our Ministers do to get punished? - No Buns No Life: T.T. Durai 3 months sentence, Fair? [...]
[...] NKF Closure? - BothSidesOfTheJohorStraits: So, what must our Ministers do to get punished? - No Buns No Life: T.T. Durai 3 months sentence, Fair? [...]