On 31 March 2022, 38-year-old female Aminorindah Bte Haeruman (“Aminorindah”) was convicted of and sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for the following offences:

a. Two counts under Section 44(1)(a) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act (Chapter 65A, 2000 Revised Edition) (“CDSA”) read with Section 109 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224, 2008 Revised Edition) (“Penal Code”), for engaging in a conspiracy with Rohaiza Binte Alap (“Rohaiza”) to be concerned in an arrangement to receive benefits from criminal in her bank accounts; and

b. One count under Section 44(1)(a) of the CDSA read with Section 109 of the Penal Code for instigating Suryanti Binte Sopyan (“Suryanti”) to be concerned in an arrangement to receive benefits from criminal conduct in her bank accounts.

Another five charges under Section 44(1)(a) of the CDSA read with Section 109 of the Penal Code were taken into consideration for the purpose of sentencing.

Investigations by the Commercial Affairs Department (“CAD”) showed that Aminorindah conspired with her former sister-in-law, Rohaiza, to use her (Aminorindah) bank accounts to receive funds derived from scams. Rohaiza was convicted of money laundering offences under the CDSA in July 2021. Despite CAD’s advice not to provide her bank account details to others or to receive funds on behalf of others, Aminorindah continued to conspire with Rohaiza. Aminorindah would receive benefits from criminal conduct in her bank accounts, retain about 7% to 8% of the sums received as her benefits before handing the cash to Rohaiza in Singapore.

Further investigations showed that Aminorindah also engaged two individuals, including Suryanti, to receive benefits from criminal conduct. The individuals would withdraw the benefits from criminal conduct received in their bank accounts and hand the cash to Aminorindah who then gave token sums to them as commission.

The offence under Section 44 of the CDSA (now renumbered as Section 51 of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992) carries a fine not exceeding $500,000, imprisonment term not exceeding 10 years, or both.

Scams, such as those perpetrated online and/or from overseas, are a major crime concern. The Police take a serious view on scams and related money laundering activities. The Police will not hesitate to take stern enforcement action against individuals who commit these offences and persons who facilitate these offences by knowingly allowing their bank accounts to be used by scammers to receive monies, hide their tracks, and launder benefits from criminal conduct.

Source: Singapore Police Force