A former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) captain has been sentenced to 21 months and two weeks’ jail after cheating five colleagues out of nearly S$87,000 and recruiting his subordinates to obtain vaping products for him.
The 38-year-old, Benjamin Song Yong Pang, was also fined S$6,000 after pleading guilty to five cheating charges and four offences related to e-vaporisers, including possessing vaping devices.
The court heard that Song had cheated five colleagues between May 2021 and March 2024, convincing them to hand over a total of S$86,750 over 39 separate occasions.
Lied about investments and mother’s medical bills
According to court proceedings, Song falsely claimed he needed money either to invest on behalf of his colleagues or to help pay for his mother’s medical expenses.
The victims each lost between S$10,000 and S$27,050, with four of them serving as his subordinates in the SAF.
The former officer has since made full restitution to all five victims.
Court documents also revealed that Song accumulated substantial credit card debts between 2011 and 2018 after spending heavily at Thai clubs and KTV establishments, although the exact amount of debt was not disclosed.
Vaped openly in camp and involved subordinates
Investigations found that Song began using e-vaporisers in late 2021 and openly vaped inside his office at Nee Soon Camp.
His actions reportedly normalised vaping among those working under him.
In one instance, he introduced a female colleague to vaping by giving her a vaping device and supplying her with vape pods.
Authorities also found that Song had instructed three subordinates on multiple occasions to procure and deliver vaping products to him.
One subordinate admitted assisting because he felt unable to refuse the requests of his superior officer.
The Health Sciences Authority stated that the former captain had recruited the junior officers to obtain vaping products despite Singapore’s strict prohibition on e-vaporisers.
Song was convicted of the cheating and vaping-related offences and has begun serving his jail sentence.