Man and godson sold fake watches to four shops for $19,000
Two Hong Kongers brought in imitation watches that looked so real they even fooled several watch shops here.
Delivery driver Cheung Siu Wa, 50, and his godson, Chow Chun Tung, 33, duped four shops into paying them $18,900 for six fake luxury watches.
Yesterday, they were each sentenced to 14 months' jail after admitting to two of four counts of abetment by conspiracy to cheat.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jeslyn Chionh said they had bought high-grade imitation Chopard and Cartier watches in Japan and Hong Kong at significantly lower prices.
They arrived on Feb 15 and sourced watch shops where they could sell the watches as genuine and for the best price.
Cheung and Chow later split up and went to a shop in People's Park Complex and Lucky Plaza, and two at The Bencoolen on Feb 15 and 16.
On Feb 16, Chow went to Brightime Watch Shop in Bencoolen Street and said he wanted to sell his watches as he had gambled away all his money.
In reality, the duo had not been to any casinos here.
Chow presented one Cartier Ballon Bleu watch with an accompanying warranty booklet and one Chopard Imperiale watch to the owner, who paid him a total of $5,400 in cash.
The same day, Cheung sold a Cartier Santos for $4,100 to Horological Restoration Centre at Lucky Plaza.
Cheung and Chow were arrested after both victims made police reports.
District Judge Mathew Joseph agreed with the prosecution that the offences were pre-meditated, involved a significant sum of money and there were aggravating factors.
"It is in the public interest that the court imposes a sentence that is not just (a) deterrent but also sends a strong signal (to) potential offenders that Singapore is not a safe haven for them to come and commit their offences with impunity," he said.
The maximum punishment for cheating is 10 years' jail and a fine per charge.
- THE STRAITS TIMES
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