Former MP and labour chief Phey Yew Kok jailed 60 months
Former NTUC president and Member of Parliament Phey Yew Kok, 81, was jailed 60 months on Friday (Jan 22) after he had misappropriated over $450,000 before fleeing Singapore for 35 years.
Phey pleaded guilty to 10 counts of criminal breach of trust, one count of abetting the fabrication of false evidence to a public servant and one count of failing to attend court when ordered to by a judicial officer.
Twenty-two other charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.
Phey joined the National Trades Union Congress (NTUC) as an industrial relations officer in 1964, and was appointed NTUC president six years later, at the age of 35.
He was elected MP for Boon Teck constituency in 1972.
But he abused his position of authority by misappropriating funds and in December 1979, Phey was charged with six counts of misusing about $100,000 worth of union funds.
On New Year's Eve, while on bail, he fled Singapore by taking a train to Kuala Lumpur before making his way to Thailand.
After being on the run for over 30 years, he surrendered himself at the Singapore Embassy in Bangkok on June 22, 2015.
Get the full story in our print edition on Saturday (Jan 23).
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