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1MDB scandal: Former BSI banker gets 30 months' jail

This article is more than 12 months old

Former banker Yeo Jiawei was sentenced to 30 months' jail yesterday, a day after he was convicted on all four charges of witness tampering in the money laundering case involving billions of dollars allegedly misappropriated from the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) state fund.

For each of the four charges of tampering with witnesses, Yeo could have been jailed up to seven years and fined.

In his oral judgment delivered on Wednesday, the judge described the former BSI Bank executive as "unreliable" and "not credible" as a witness.

The court found that after Yeo's release on police bail, he arranged a meeting on March 27 at the Swiss Club with his associate, Mr Samuel Goh Sze-Wei, and his former supervisor, Mr Kevin Swampillai.

Yeo told them to lie to the police that the funds Mr Goh had transferred to companies owned by Yeo and Mr Swampillai were his investments. Yeo had also told Mr Swampillai to "play poker" with the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD).

After he left BSI, Yeo continued with illicit transactions connected to the case. Some were allegedly conducted through legal and corporate services provider Amicorp Group.

Yeo was concerned that Amicorp employees Jose Renato Carvalho Pinto and Mun Enci Aloysius, who had received instructions from him in relation to these transactions, would be interviewed by the CAD.

ABETTED

He told Mr Carvalho to dispose of his laptop, and to "not travel to Singapore to avoid being interviewed" by the CAD.

He also abetted Mr Carvalho to tell Mr Aloysius to lie about not knowing of Yeo's dealings with Amicorp if he was questioned by the CAD.

Yeo is the third person to be convicted in Singapore's 1MDB investigation.

Seven other charges against Yeo involving cheating, money laundering and forgery will be dealt with next year.

Yeo's lawyer Philip Fong said he is seriously considering appealing the conviction and sentence.

1MDBSingaporeCOURT & CRIME