Skip to main content

Ex-SMRT Employees Jailed for Cheating Company Out of S$4 Million in Maintenance Scam

 




Four Singaporean men, including three former employees of SMRT Trains, have been handed jail sentences of varying lengths after being convicted of a conspiracy to cheat their employer out of more than S$4 million (US$3 million) through a sophisticated scheme involving shell companies and rigged contracts.

The complex, long-running trial concluded on Wednesday, November 12, with all four men receiving custodial sentences. District Judge Eddy Tham presided over the sentencing, emphasizing the "grave breach of trust" and the serious implications for SMRT, a key provider of vital public transport services.

The Conspirators and Sentences

IndividualAgeFormer Role at SMRTSentenceCulpability
Jamalludin Jumari68Section Manager, Permanent Way Branch4 years, 9 monthsHighest (Initiator)
Zakaria Mohamed Shariff67Assistant Engineer, Permanent Way Branch4 years, 9 monthsHigh (Accomplice/Controller)
Zulkifli Marwi60Line Manager, Permanent Way Branch26 monthsLower (Endorser/Concealer)
Akbar Ali Tambishahib68None (Figurehead Director)26 monthsLower (Frontman)

Jamalludin Jumari and Zakaria Mohamed Shariff, the two highest-ranking co-conspirators who initiated the scheme, received the stiffest penalties. Zulkifli Marwi and Akbar Ali Tambishahib received shorter terms due to their lower level of culpability. Except for Zulkifli, the other three men have indicated their intention to lodge appeals against their sentences.

The Scheme to Cheat SMRT

The scheme originated with Jamalludin, the Section Manager, and Zakaria, an Assistant Engineer, both of the Permanent Way Branch, which was responsible for maintaining SMRT railway tracks.

  1. Concealment: The duo decided to use their insider knowledge to bid for contracts to supply goods and services to SMRT. Knowing they were required to declare any business interest and fearing they would be dismissed or excluded, they conspired to conceal their involvement.

  2. Front Companies: They enlisted Akbar Ali Tambishahib, Zakaria's childhood friend with no experience in trackworks, to act as the figurehead director for their company, Enovation Industries, and a second one, Enovation Technologies. Akbar was found to be "nothing more than a front," while Jamalludin and Zakaria controlled the operations.

  3. Insider Aid: They later roped in Zulkifli Marwi, a Line Manager who reported to Jamalludin, to help the operation internally. Zulkifli assisted by accessing confidential information to aid their bids and acted as the first-level endorser for many of the Enovation companies' requests for quotations (RFQs).

Over a period of four-and-a-half years (2007 to 2012), SMRT awarded 26 RFQs and two tenders to the Enovation companies. The goods involved included roller package parts, wrenches, track trolleys, and hydraulic jacks. The total amount cheated from SMRT and the wrongful gain made by Enovation across these 28 transactions exceeded S$4 million. In one instance, the men reportedly planned a profit margin exceeding 400 per cent.

The S$3 Million Timber Tender

The most significant contract won was a 2011 tender for the supply, delivery, and handling of 12,000 Kempas timber sleepers to replace deteriorating ones, valued at S$3.7 million. Enovation submitted the lowest compliant bid and won.

The prosecution noted that Zulkifli was also responsible for the quality control checks for these sleepers. SMRT later discovered that the supplied timber sleepers did not meet the required specifications, leading SMRT to terminate the contract and later uncover the massive conflict of interest.

Judge Tham emphasized that the three SMRT employees exploited the confidential information and experience they had acquired, undermining the integrity of SMRT's internal approval system. He stressed the importance of strict adherence to policies, noting that rail service disruptions due to faulty components severely affect daily commuters.

The judge also rejected a plea for judicial mercy for Zulkifli, who had suffered a stroke, stating that the degree of hardship did not reach the level where imprisonment would endanger his life.

Labels:
Location: Singapore

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Singapore NSF Found Unconscious at Pasir Laba Camp, Pronounced Dead in Hospital

  A full-time national serviceman (NSF) from the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) was found unconscious and unresponsive at Pasir Laba Camp on Friday evening.  The Ministry of Defence (MINDEF) and Singapore Police Force (SPF) confirmed that the NSF was evacuated to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital by the SAF Ambulance Service but was pronounced dead despite resuscitation efforts.  MINDEF and SPF clarified that the incident is not training-related, and preliminary investigations do not suggest foul play.  The case has been classified as an unnatural death, with investigations ongoing. MINDEF and the SAF expressed their condolences to the serviceman's family and are providing support during this time of grief. Rest in Peace.
Post a Comment
Read more

Fatal Accident Involving Cyclist and Tower Transit Service 859

A fatal road traffic accident occurred on the morning of November 29, 2025, in northern Singapore, resulting in the death of a 39-year-old cyclist. The incident involved a public bus operated by Tower Transit. The Accident and Immediate Aftermath The police were alerted to the accident at approximately 10:55 am along Admiralty Drive towards Sembawang Road. Victim and Outcome: The cyclist, a 39-year-old man, was pronounced dead at the scene by a paramedic from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). The Vehicle: The incident involved bus service 859, operated by Tower Transit. Scene Details: The Chinese-language news outlet Shin Min Daily News quoted a resident who stated the cyclist was trapped under the wheels of the bus after the collision. The bus's windscreen was reported to be cracked, with bloodstains visible on the road. Passengers: More than 20 people were on the bus at the time, but none of them were hurt. Preliminary Cause and Investigation Tower Transit confirmed its ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Filipino Jailed for using Fake PayNow Screenshots

  A woman who meticulously crafted a scam using fake PayNow screenshots to obtain food and services from multiple establishments has been sentenced to one year and 11 months’ jail. Filipino national Santos-Tumalip Maria Monalyn Bagaporo, aged 33, pleaded guilty on November 13 to four charges, including cheating and theft, with three other charges taken into consideration. The total value of the food and services she obtained fraudulently exceeded $10,000. The court documents detailed a pattern of deception that involved Bagaporo placing orders and then transferring the payment amount to her own bank account, rather than the merchant's. She would then use a photo editing application to alter the resulting transaction screenshot, making it falsely appear as if the money had been successfully sent to the restaurant or salon. In some cases, she even edited the sender details to make it look like the payments originated from different accounts. 1. House of Seafood (May 2022 – August 20...
Post a Comment
Read more