Man behind IPPT cheating scheme jailed
What started out as a favour to help his friends pass their Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT), morphed into a scheme that cheated the Ministry of Defence (Mindef) of $24,700.
Salesman Lim Chun Chyi, now 37, who initially took the IPPT on his friends' behalf, also roped in friends to pretend to be other operationally ready national servicemen (NSmen) - sometimes for a fee.
Between 2011 and 2014, he and his friends took the IPPT for 72 NSmen and pocketed the Mindef incentive payouts.
Lim was caught on Dec 6, 2014, after an eagle-eyed fitness trainer at Khatib Camp noticed that he looked familiar. He recalled that the same man had taken the IPPT a few weeks earlier.
Lim was jailed for 18 months yesterday after pleading guilty to 20 cheating charges involving $8,000. For each of these, he had attained the gold award for others.
Another 73 charges for similar offences involving $16,700 were taken into consideration during sentencing.
Verification measures have since been stepped up to apprehend and punish those who attempt to cheat during IPPT.
A Mindef spokesman said: "In addition to identity verification during IPPT registration, facial checks will also be conducted against their 11Bs or NRICs." - THE STRAITS TIMES
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