THERE was an added element of interest in a property cashback court case yesterday - run-away lawyer David Rasif was fingered as a 'prime mover' in the scam.
In the dock was property agent Goh Chong Liang, 37, who admitted his role in a cashback scam to cheat banks into giving out housing loans.
But all in the gallery listened attentively when both defence lawyer Peter Fernando and Deputy Public Prosecutor Jason Chan pointed to Rasif's stake in the scam.
District Judge Liew Thiam Leng was told of how Goh conspired with Rasif to dupe the banks into granting loans in the scam.
DPP Chan gave the court an idea of how such a scam worked.
A property agent works with a buyer and seller to inflate the price of the seller's flat. This secures a higher housing loan for the buyer. The difference between the loan amount and the actual price of the resale flat is then split between those involved in the scam.
The court heard that Goh had roped in Rasif, through his law firm at the time, to act for flat sellers in the scam.
In order to inflate the price of a flat, Goh included the renovation costs for the flat by a shell company he helped set up. However, the company never carried out any work.
After Rasif's law firm deducted its fees from the sale of the flats, the remainder of the money Goh made was shared by those involved in the scam.
Rasif's law firm, which has since closed, was involved in 22 such transactions in 2004.
In June 2005, the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) got wind of the scam.
Aware of the CAD investigation, Goh turned to Rasif and another lawyer in the firm for help.
They told him to forge the documents used in the transactions to throw CAD officers off the trail.
Yesterday, Mr Fernando urged the court to be lenient with his client.
He pointed out that Goh had been very cooperative with investigating officers, which 'significantly' included 'his voluntary information of the role played by him and each and every one involved in the conspiracy'.
Goh is the first to be charged and convicted in the scam. No one else has yet been brought to court.
Goh, who could be jailed for up to seven years, will be sentenced next Thursday.
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