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

Zombie Vape Scare: Driver Found Stunned with E-Cigarette around Punggol Way

  A significant public safety incident unfolded on a busy thoroughfare when a driver operating a vehicle was observed in a state of severe impairment, eventually causing the car to come to a halt in a highly dangerous location. This erratic behavior prompted immediate and decisive intervention from members of the public who were concerned that the individual may have been suffering from a medical emergency, though initial suspicions quickly shifted to the potential use of a prohibited substance. The incident took place on Wednesday, November 5, at approximately 9:00 pm. The location was identified as a section of Punggol Way, situated in close proximity to the Samudera Light Rail Transit (LRT) station. The sequence of events was first noted by a local resident, Mr. Xu (a transliterated name), a 54-year-old engineer, who was driving home with his son following a gym session. While driving, Mr. Xu noticed the car immediately ahead of his own exhibiting highly unusual behavior. The ve...
Post a Comment
Read more

Submarine Sailing Near Punggol Northshore?

  A viral video posted on November 7, 2025, showing a submarine traveling between Singapore's Punggol Northshore District and Pasir Gudang, Malaysia, has sparked public curiosity. The vessel appears to be a Gotland-class submarine, though this is unconfirmed.  Online community members questioned the submarine's identity and its presence near residential areas. Key questions included the vessel's specific model, whether it belonged to Singapore or Malaysia, and why it was operating near Punggol instead of the main naval base in Changi. The sighting also revealed to some Netizens that Singapore possesses its own submarine fleet. 
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