Company director let others use firm's account to receive over $2 million in crime proceeds
Shaffiq Alkhatib
The Straits Times
June 16, 2025
Wanting "quick cash", a director of a company allowed others to control its bank account, which was later used to receive crime proceeds totalling nearly US$1.68 million (S$2.15 million).
In an unrelated incident, Alson Tong Shao Tian, 37, also rained blows on another man.
On June 16, the Singaporean, who used to be known as Tong Kok Liang, was sentenced to one year, three months and two weeks' jail. He was also fined $4,000.
Tong had pleaded guilty to assault, performing an act that could obstruct the course of justice, and one charge linked to money laundering.
His company, Ambite, categorised by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority as providing "management consultancy services and wholesale trade", was fined $10,000 over a charge relating to money laundering.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Teo told the court that Ambite was incorporated on Feb 3, 2021.
Three months later, an acquaintance of Tong's known as Mr Pavel Kuznetsov asked if Tong could get other parties to act as "nominee directors" for various companies in Singapore.
According to Mr Kuznetsov, these companies would then be sold to Mr Kuznetsov's foreign clients. Court documents did not disclose details about Mr Kuznetsov.
DPP Teo said: "Pavel told Alson that such nominee directors would take over the company and its corporate bank accounts, if any, in name only, and hand over the bank token or bank account login details to Pavel's foreign clients.
"(He) assured Alson that they would not need to do any work for or assume responsibility over the company."
Tong then told Mr Kuznetsov that he was interested in such an offer and asked for $2,500 for each company that was taken over.
Court documents stated that Tong was aware of the risk that the corporate bank accounts could be used for money laundering without his knowledge.
But after Mr Kuznetsov assured Tong that such risks could be "mitigated through an indemnity agreement", Tong agreed to be part of the deal as he wanted quick cash.
Mr Kuznetsov promised him $10,000 in exchange for his help with four companies.
On May 11, 2021, Tong provided him with photographs of his identity card and his signature.
Six days later, he provided Mr Kuznetsov with remote access to the laptop computer of Tong's wife via an app.
Mr Kuznetsov then remotely accessed the device and applied for a bank account linked to Ambite. He also opened a corporate account linked to another bank.
Tong had no oversight or control over the activities in these accounts, the court heard.
On May 27, 2021, Tong received a total of $5,000 from Mr Kuznetsov, comprising payments of $2,500 each linked to Ambite and another company, Goodcap Ventures.
Around the same time, Tong also took over two other companies, but did not receive any payments from Mr Kuznetsov for doing so.
Tong's wife later found out about her spouse's activities and told him to cease all involvement with Mr Kuznetsov.
Tong then told Mr Kuznetsov that he wanted to "close" Ambite and Goodcap. He also said he wanted to refund the $5,000 he had received.
After some negotiations, Tong agreed to keep Ambite and its bank account open. Tong then retained $2,500 and refunded Mr Kuznetsov the $2,500 he had received for Goodcap.
On July 29, 2021, Ambite's account received a transfer of nearly US$1.68 million from a Germany-based freight forwarding company.
This company alerted the authorities the following month that it had made a payment for the amount linked to a fraudulent invoice.
During an investigation, Tong could not explain why the Germany-based company would transfer money to Ambite.
He was also charged over his act of deleting 244 incriminating WhatsApp messages between himself and Mr Kuznetsov.
The court heard that the police managed to seize more than $1,800, over €680 (S$1,000) and more than US$614,000 from Ambite's bank account.
Of these sums, more than US$614,000 and €550 were traced to the amount initially transferred by the Germany-based company. These amounts were then returned to it.
Separately, Tong was drunk when he assaulted a man in Selegie Road in June 2022.
Defence lawyers Patrick Nai, Choo Si Sen and Choo Yean Lin had pleaded for their client to be given nine months' jail and a "high fine" for his offences.
They told the court that Tong has two children, aged eight and 10, and is their sole caregiver when his wife goes overseas for work.
