Singapore Jails Three for Widespread Workplace Safety Certification Fraud
A deliberate and coordinated scheme to forge Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) course certificates has resulted in jail sentences for three former employees of the now-defunct training provider, PSU Global. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced the convictions on Monday, July 7, highlighting a serious breach of Singapore’s safety standards and a betrayal of public trust.
A Systemic Abuse of Training Protocols
The fraudulent activity involved multiple deceptive practices designed to circumvent legitimate training requirements. According to a MOM press release, the scheme centered around issuing certificates falsely claiming trainees had successfully completed required WSH courses. This included significantly shortened courses, guaranteed passing grades regardless of competence, fabricated attendance records, and the manipulation of results uploaded to MOM’s official training database.
“This case represents a deliberate and coordinated abuse of the training system,” a senior official stated.
Key Figures and Their Roles
Mohan Prabu, the former director of PSU Global, was the architect of the fraud. He instructed trainers to implement the deceptive practices and even provided a digital copy of his signature to expedite the issuance of forged certificates under his name. On Monday, Mohan was sentenced to 20 weeks’ imprisonment.
Veeranan Seeman, who served as a training manager at PSU Global, actively conducted the abbreviated WSH courses and manipulated trainee test results. Veeranan received a 16-week jail sentence on March 6.
Murugaiyan Senthil, appointed as director of PSU Global in 2019, continued the fraudulent operations, consenting to the issuance of forged certificates bearing his name. He was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment on April 7.
Investigations revealed that all three individuals were “involved in a coordinated scheme to issue certificates that falsely represented that the full course requirements had been met,” according to MOM.
Details of the Deceptive Practices
The fraudulent scheme extended to the core elements of the WSH training. Practical sessions were routinely skipped or rushed, often completed within a single hour. Trainees were provided with answers to tests or instructed to write in pencil, allowing trainers to easily erase and alter incorrect responses.
“Trainees were provided with test answers or instructed to write in pencil so that wrong answers could be erased and amended by the trainers,” MOM reported.
These forged certificates were then uploaded to MOM’s training records system, falsely indicating that individuals were fully trained and competent to perform safety-critical tasks. This raises serious concerns about potential safety risks in various workplaces across Singapore.
The convictions underscore the importance of rigorous oversight and accountability within the WSH training sector. MOM has not yet released details on the number of fraudulent certificates issued or the specific industries affected, but further investigation is expected. .
This case serves as a stark warning to training providers and individuals attempting to circumvent safety regulations, demonstrating that such actions will be met with swift and decisive legal consequences.
