Three dentists and a manager charged over fake Medisave claims
Three dental surgeons and a manager from a dental group practice are facing hundreds of charges of abetting in a conspiracy to cheat the Central Provident Fund Board by submitting fraudulent Medisave claims.
Cecil Goh Chin Chye, 47, The Smile Division’s group managing director, and Yeo Meow Koon, 46, the group practice manager, face 612 charges each while dentists Daniel Liew Yaoxiang, 35, Steven Ang Kiam Hau, 42, are accused of 280 and 283 charges respectively. They were charged yesterday
The total amount disbursed in Goh’s case was about $900,000. Court documents show that he was involved in treating two patients in 49 charges.
In the case of Liew and Ang, the total amounts paid out were $388,700 and $434,241 respectively.
The alleged offences took place between 2011 and 2014 and involved 29 patients altogether.
Except for Ang, the other three are also accused conspiracy to commit forgery for the purpose of cheating.
Court documents say that Liew, Yeo and Goh abetted by scheming to forge the clinical notes of two patients, intending that they be used to cheat the Ministry of Health during a Professional Medisave Audit on The Smile Division @ Hougang Central Dental Surgery between Oct 30 and Nov 20, 2012 and at The Smile Division @ CCK between Nov 8 and 25, 2013.
Ang’s lawyer, Mr Wendell Wong, said his client acted in the best interests of his 14 patients.
“Procedures that were done on the patients and claims from their Medisave were all done with the patients’ full knowledge and blessings, and, in some cases, at their own request,’’ he said.
Of the $434,241, he said his client ultimately received only a fraction of the sum and that a substantial amount was used to pay for clinic-related expenses.
District Judge Christopher Goh set bail at $250,000 for Ang and $80,000 for Yeo – represented by Mr Tan Hee Joek – and extended Goh’s $500,000 bail and Liew’s $300,000 bail. The duo’s lawyers are Mr Hamidul Haq and Mr Chen Chee Yen respectively.
A pre-trial conference is set for May 11.
MOH yesterday said it has served notices of intended suspension of the Medisave accreditation of the three dentists for allegedly authorising submission of claims to CPF Board to deceive it on surgical operations that were not performed.
The dentists have been given two weeks to provide a satisfactory explanation or their Medisave accreditation will be suspended from May 5.
“Given the severity of the alleged offences, MOH will also be referring the matter to the Singapore Dental Council,’’ said the ministry.
- THE STRAITS TIMES
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