On 16 November 2015, Jover Chew, owner of the now defunct Mobile Air pleaded guilty to 12 charges of cheating. He will be sentenced on 30 November 2015. The prosecution called for a 36-month jail sentence for Jover Chew.
DPP Eunice Lim said in Court:
"This is a case of an offender who used the law to cheat and bully customers. He was the brains, architect and engineer of mobile air. He used his shop to cheat unsuspecting foreigners of their hard earned money. He employed workers to be involved in a criminal enterprise. They successfully cheated 26 victims of S$16,599
This harmed the reputation of Singapore and our retail industry, cast a shadow on tourism and retail industries, and brought disrepute to Singapore
This case involves the abuse of corporate structure and legitimate documents. The veneer of the legitimacy saw unsuspecting victims lured into a false sense of security."
Jover Chew had deliberately targeted foreigner which allowed him to evade detection by the authorities as such victims were unlikely to complain due to their short stay in Singapore.
Previously, four of Jover Chew's underlings were handed jail terms varying between 4 to 14 months for cheating unsuspecting customers. Due to Jover Chew's increased culpability, the prosecution sought 3 years imprisonment for him.
In Chew's defence, lawyer Mathew Kurian said Chew's sentencing should be calibrated on the merits of the case and not be benchmarked on his notoriety. Chew had also paid back his victims in full and asked for the same 14 month jail punishment as his other accomplices.
Editor's Note:
Do you have a story to share? Please use our submission form or email us at editorial@allsingaporestuff.com. If not, why not give us a 'Like'?