Jail for ex-business owner who tried to dupe IRAS into giving out grants

An executive director of an aquaculture business worked with a director of another firm to try to dupe the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS) into disbursing $6,750 in grants.

- Shaffiq Alkhatib

The grants were under the Jobs Support Scheme (JSS), which the Government introduced during the Covid-19 pandemic to help employers lower costs by paying part of their employees' wages.

But the ruse was uncovered, and no amount was paid out.

On March 25, Alvin Yap Ah Seng, 60, who used to own several firms, including Yi Hu Fish Farm Trading, was sentenced to eight weeks' jail after he pleaded guilty to two counts of cheating. Eight other charges were considered during his sentencing.

His alleged accomplice, Sean Tan Zheng Wee, 31, who was then the director of biotechnology firm Insect Feed Technologies (IFT), was referred to as the "co-accused" in court documents.

Tan's case is pending. His company was in the business of farming insects which were used for animal feed, among other things.