Forty-three people are being investigated for being involved in a suspected goods and services tax (GST) fraud following a two-day operation by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (Iras).

The raids took place on Monday and Tuesday at several locations, including Tannery Lane, High Street and Kallang Pudding Road, said Iras in a statement yesterday.

The seized goods included iPhones and MacBook Air notebooks, as well as SIM cards and business records.

edXAds by Rubicon Project The alleged conspiracy involved making fraudulent claims for reimbursement of tax paid on exported goods. No details were available on the amount of money or number of bogus companies involved.

In a carousel or merry-go-round fraud, the same goods are traded around a fake supply chain within and in some instances outside Singapore. These supply chains are usually controlled by one mastermind, often the first link in the chain.

For example, Company A would import goods and sell them to Company B, charging it GST. The director of Company A would then disappear – becoming incommunicado – without transferring the GST he owes to Iras.

The goods, now “owned” by Company B, are then sold to bogus businesses which are merely buffers in the supply chain to claim a so-called input tax paid on the goods – effectively seeking a refund of the GST amount Iras never received from Company A.

Input tax is the amount that GST-registered businesses can claim from the GST they pay on their purchases.

The input tax can be offset against the GST collected from sales – output tax – and the net difference paid to Iras. If a business incurs more GST on purchases than it collects from sales, it can claim the difference in the form of a GST refund from Iras.

Iras said that in some fraud cases, no goods were actually exported and the business transactions were merely on paper, with the sole aim of claiming fraudulent GST refunds.

It added that stern enforcement actions will be taken against such traders and any intermediaries helping them.

Anyone who commits the offence of wilful intent to evade or assist any other person to evade GST faces a penalty of up to three times the amount of tax undercharged and a fine not exceeding $10,000, and/or jail of up to seven years.

Iras encouraged businesses or individuals to immediately disclose any past mistakes, saying that it “will treat such disclosures as mitigating factors when considering action to be taken”.

A cash reward based on 15 per cent of the tax recovered, capped at $100,000, would be given to informants if the information or documents provided a lead to a recovery of tax that would have been lost, it added.

This article was first published on August 19, 2016.
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Commuters often gripe about having to wait for buses. But the wait is now far more palatable – even enjoyable – at a refurbished bus stop in Jurong East.

There, commuters can tap free Wi-Fi, charge their mobile phones, read books, and even sit on a swing.

Designed to “make waiting fun”, the bus stop in Jurong Gateway Road is a ground-up idea by a group of architects and part of a broader vision to make Singapore livelier. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has been promoting similar efforts such as public art and street closures for parties.

If it is well received, the authorities will consider incorporating the ideas in future bus stops. The features, which were unveiled yesterday, will be in operation for a year. They include digital information boards with bus timings, the weather and a street directory, mobile phone charging points, and free Wi-Fi from September. There are also physical books – from Enid Blyton to classics like Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 – as well as e-books to download.

Housewife Sharah Syed, 35, was heading home with her son after his tuition class when one of the Enid Blyton books caught the primary schooler’s eye. “He saw the books immediately and asked if he could pick up one and read,” said Madam Sharah. “I think the shelf of books is useful for the kids. They will like it.”

The bus stop also boasts a green roof, vertical greenery, solar panels, bicycle parking and a swing.

Administrative assistant Emma Chen, 35, welcomed the display of bus arrival times and the upcoming Wi-Fi. But student Putri Amirah, 13, said: “I don’t know if I will stay long enough to use the charger as I will be rushing for my bus.”

The public are encouraged to share feedback on the bus stop by sending an e-mail to AUDE@ ura.gov.sg. This will help the Government decide if the features and services should be considered for future bus stops, said the URA yesterday.

The bus stop is the brainchild of a group of architects from DP Architects, who designed it as a corporate social responsibility initiative.

Director Seah Chee Huang, who led the team, said: “We are looking forward to seeing how commuters use, experience and enjoy this new setting.” He hopes to show that bus stops can be social hubs where people meet and have fun.

The firm took the idea to the Land Transport Authority and the URA, and it was implemented through collaboration with other agencies like the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore and the National Environment Agency.

“I’m very encouraged to see these young architects come forward with their ideas to make our public spaces more vibrant,” said National Development Minister Lawrence Wong in a blog post yesterday.

“We hope to have more Singaporeans play an active role in shaping the use of our public spaces.”

This is the reason for the URA’s Our Favourite Place scheme, which provides funding support for ideas to enliven public spaces, he added.

“Planning our future city is not just a job for our urban planners,” he said. “We all can play a role in shaping our streets and public spaces. The more we do so, the more we strengthen our sense of ownership, identity and emotional connection to Singapore our home.”

Those with ideas can visit http://ura.sg/ourfaveplace or e-mail URA_ourfaveplace@ura.gov.sg

This article was first published on August 19, 2016.
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Teen blogger Amos Yee’s trial resumed yesterday, a day after it was adjourned even before the first prosecution witness was called.

On Wednesday, the trial was adjourned after the case was sent, at Yee’s request, for a criminal case resolution (CCR), an avenue for resolving a case without trial.

Yee, 17, had at first opted to contest all his eight charges, including six for intending to wound the feelings of Muslims or Christians. He had allegedly posted a photo and five videos, some of which show him insulting the Bible and the Quran.

The teen, who has no lawyer, had also said he wanted to cross-examine the prosecution’s witnesses.

But shortly after the start of the trial on Wednesday, he told District Judge Lim Tse Haw that he wanted “to take a certain course”, which is legal parlance indicating that he was considering pleading guilty.

The judge fixed the case for a CCR, in which the accused can ask for an indication of his possible sentences. But with no resolution at the closed-door CCR session yesterday, the case was sent back for the trial to continue.

Amos Yee sentenced to 4 weeks in jail

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The Straits Times, The New Paper, Reuters, AFP, Lianhe Zaobao

At the start of yesterday’s hearing, Yee asked for a two-month adjournment, saying he had received the list of witnesses and exhibits only on Wednesday and needed time to prepare his case. Judge Lim did not accede to the request, but said he would give Yee time to prepare questions for cross-examination later.

The case was adjourned – after two witnesses took the stand – for the next tranche of the trial, fixed for next Tuesday and Wednesday.

Yee, who sat beside his mother Mary Toh, who is helping him conduct his defence, did not deny that he had made the photo and videos.

Two police technology forensic officers, who had gathered information relating to the charges, took the witness stand yesterday. One had extracted data from more than 100 webpages, such as blogs and social media sites.

Yee had no questions for the officer, apart from asking why the webpages were relevant to his charges.

The officer said he had acted on instructions from an investigator, who will testify at a later date.

Besides the six charges, Yee faces two of failing to report to Jurong Police Division for investigations.

Police arrest Amos Yee, the teen behind anti-Lee Kuan Yew video

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YouTube screengrabs

Reports were lodged over online remarks that Yee made last year, and the police issued a notice last December ordering him to report for investigations. But he allegedly failed to do so, leaving the country shortly after and returning only in April.

When he returned, he was served with a magistrate’s order to report again at Jurong Police Division, but he purportedly did not comply.

On May 11, he was arrested and then bailed out by his mother.

The prosecution will call a total of seven witnesses, all police officers.

The maximum penalty for deliberately wounding the religious feelings of any person is three years’ jail and a fine; for failing to present oneself pursuant to a notice or order from a public servant, it is one month’s jail and a $1,500 fine.

Yee uploaded an expletive-laden video days after the death of founding Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew last year. He was sentenced in July last year to four weeks’ jail.

This article was first published on Aug 19, 2016.
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