July 7, 2007

Lawyer accused of cheating clients


LAWYER Tan Sok Ling was charged yesterday on three counts of allegedly forging stamp duty certificates to cheat his clients of a total of $11,480.

On one charge, he is accused of altering the amount of stamp duty from $8,100 to $13,500 for the purchase of a property in March last year.

He is also accused of altering two other stamp duty certificates in 2004, and increasing the sum to be paid from $7,077 to $10,110 in March; and from $7,119 to $10,170 in September that year.

His lawyer, Mr Peter Low, asked the court for more time to prepare and to make representations to the Public Prosecutor as he had just been briefed.

Tan, dressed in a white shirt and dark pants, showed no expression throughout the hearing.

In March, he was suspended from practising for a year for not keeping proper accounts as the sole proprietor of Tan S.L. Partners.

Tan, who was called to the Bar in 1992, is on $30,000 bail and will be back in court on Aug 31.

KHUSHWANT SINGH