SINGAPORE – A con artist returned to a life of crime just a month after her release from prison, masterminding a renovation scam involving nearly $1.8 million. Husniyati Omar, 41 – a mother of seven children aged three to 19 – cheated homeowners and subcontractors by failing to honour agreements. The Singaporean was jailed for seven years and nine months on Tuesday (Sept 25) after pleading guilty last month to 20 cheating charges and one count of criminal breach of trust. These 21 charges involved almost $770,000. Another 126 charges for similar offences involving the remaining amount were taken into consideration during sentencing. The court heard that she was sentenced to four months’ jail in 2015 after admitting to cheating offences. Following her release in August that year, she misappropriated $68,260 from her employer, home renovation company Elegance Concept, between September and December 2015. She left the firm in January 2016. After that, she cheated 89 homeowners and subcontractors out of nearly $1.8 million. In early 2016, Husniyati asked her friend Christina Wong Hoi Khay, 22, to be the sole director and shareholder of a renovation firm called Carpentry Design Works. She promised to give Ms Wong $3,000 every month. However, the company and its bank accounts were at all times controlled by Husniyati and her husband Aszrul Yusoff, 37, the court heard. Deputy Public Prosecutor Lee Ti-Ting told District Judge Edgar Foo that the couple promised homeowners and prospective customers that the company was able to complete renovation works… [Read full story]
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