4 people charged over 2017 police report by SportSG which alleged misuse of funds at Tiong Bahru FC

SINGAPORE: Four individuals were charged today (21 Feb) in connection with a police report SportSG lodged in 2017, alleging misuse of funds by Tiong Bahru Football Club and an attempt to block audits of football clubs that did not participate in 2017’s S-League.

The individuals who were charged are Kaw Lai Fong, the former manager of Tiong Bahru Football Club (FC) and treasurer of Woodlands Wellington FC, ex-Woodlands Wellington FC chairman Gary Tan Eng Chin, his fellow ESW Holdings director Sng Kian Peng and audit assistant Lau Chee Yong – an employee of the firm that audited the accounts of the FCs in Woodlands and Hougang.

Tiong Bahru FC chairman Bill Ng and his wife Bonnie were not charged, although they were among those who were arrested in 2017. The Attorney-General’s Chambers had also in 2021 cleared ex-Football Association of Singapore (FAS) president Zainudin Nordin and general secretary Winston Lee without bringing any charges against the pair.

Gary Tan Eng Chin and Sng Kian Peng were both charged with conspiring to obstruct the investigation of the Commercial Affairs Bureau by instructing their staff to replace all the hard drives of the computers to prevent investigators from obtaining them.

Kaw Lai Fong was also charged with obstructing the investigation and deliberately concealing the whereabouts of her mobile phone.

Lau Chee Yoong was charged after the investigators found that he had forged his boss’ signature in the independent auditors’ report of the financial statements for Woodlands Wellington FC and Hougang United FC.

The police said that it will take no further action against the other individuals who were mentioned in the 2017 police report, following “careful consideration of the facts and circumstances of the case as disclosed by investigations, and with the concurrence of the Attorney-General’s Chambers.”