Man gets nine years’ preventive detention for SEA Games scam
Mohammad Karim Mat Amin. Photo: Singapore Police Force
SINGAPORE — A man who cheated nearly 50 people in a SEA Games job scam was sentenced to nine years of preventive detention today (Oct 2). Such a sentence means that Mohammad Karim Mat Amin, 38, will have no chance of an early release.
The court heard that Karim, who was in financial difficulties, had devised the scam in May after noticing advertisements for the SEA Games. His plan was to cheat people by offering them non-existent jobs at the multi-sport event, which was held in Singapore from June 5 to June 16.
Karim, who was working part-time at Suntec City, told his colleagues that he was recruiting part-time staff, who would be paid S$900 each to work between June 5 and 11. He promised one colleague, Ms Hafizah Mohamed Isa, a commission of about S$50 for each successful referral. She, in turn, posted an advertisement about the jobs on her own Facebook page.
When interested parties got in touch with Karim, he would set up an interview with them, either in person or via WhatsApp. For the interviews, he would dress formally in a long-sleeve T-shirt and black business pants.
Karim presented himself as a human resource manager from a recruitment agency, out to recruit poolside ushers for the SEA Games.
He would ask the interviewees for a passport-size photo, and would quiz them on their background and the sports they were interested in.
“Successful” applicants were asked to pay S$35 for a three-day training course from May 18 to 20.
The course fees, Karim claimed, would cover two sets of uniforms and a commemorative EZ-link card. The applicants were told to meet at 9am on May 18 at the TCC Group Office along New Bridge Road for training.
But, Karim was nowhere to be seen when the applicants turned up for the training session. He faced 46 counts of cheating and two charges for theft — amounting to S$2,175. Of these charges, 16 were proceeded with.
In mitigation, Karim told the court that having been released from prison last year, he had a “culture shock” and was under financial pressure. “Give me one more chance,” he said.
Defence lawyer Revi Shanker had called for a one-year jail sentence for his client. However, District Judge (DJ) Christopher Goh, noting Karim’s previous record, felt that such a sentence was “manifestly inadequate”.
He noted that Karim had many antecedents, having been in and out of juvenile home and prison for various crimes since he was 13.
“I take a step back and look at how these were committed. This was not something done at the spur of the moment. It was planned,” said DJ Goh.
An earlier report submitted by the prosecution also stated that Karim’s rate of recidivism, a relapse into criminal behaviour, was between 45 and 60 per cent in the next two years, which DJ Goh said was “quite high”.
The judge said he decided to sentence Karim to preventive detention for the “protection of the public”.
