A former part-time Indonesian law lecturer admitted in a district court here yesterday that he had taken part in an insurance scam involving nearly $500,000, cheating mainly AIA Singapore.
Khomaini’s offences from 2018 to last year led to over $160,000 in payouts and, in several instances, involved impostors pretending to be hospital patients in Indonesia.
He also used the names of some of his unsuspecting family members to file false claims. The 40-year-old Indonesian, who goes by only one name, committed the offences in his home country and officers from Singapore’s Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) arrested him on Feb 17 when he came here for a holiday.
The court was told that Khomaini has a PhD in law from an Indonesian university.
He was sentenced to three years and two months’ jail after pleading guilty to seven counts of cheating involving more than $340,000. Sixteen other similar charges linked to the remaining amount were considered during sentencing.
He was working as an insurance agent in Indonesia from 2015 to 2016 when a colleague taught him how to make bogus insurance claims and earn cash from policies, the court was told.
The colleague, Ms Nesya Mydin, also told him insurance policies in Singapore had better returns and lower premiums compared with those in Indonesia, the court heard.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Selene Yap said: “As a result, the accused also purchased several insurance policies in Singapore for the purpose of submitting false insurance claims.
“He also purchased insurance policies under the names of his family members and friends, intending to use them for the same purpose. The accused paid the… premiums for these policies.”
Ms Nesya introduced Khomaini to a man known only as Sianturi, who later acted as a middleman and made arrangements for him.
In December 2017, Khomaini bought three insurance policies in his mother’s name. The court heard that his mother, Madam Yusliyah, was unaware of her son’s scheme.
Source: Straits Times
