Fullerton Health co-founders fined for submitting and approving false and inflated expense claims
Dr Daniel Chan Pai Sheng and Dr Michael Tan Kim Song, who were the company’s deputy group CEO and group CEO, were given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for their corruption charges.
Former Fullerton Health Corporation top executives Dr Daniel Chan Pai Sheng (left) and Dr Michael Tan Kim Song arrive at the State Courts on Jul 10, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Raydza Rahman)
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SINGAPORE: The two co-founders of the Fullerton Health brand were fined on Friday (Jul 10) for submitting and approving false entertainment expense claims.
But Dr Daniel Chan Pai Sheng and Dr Michael Tan Kim Song, both 52, were cleared of bribery in the alleged corruption case that implicated a third former colleague and the then-CEO of Aon Singapore, a health insurance broker.
For their corruption charges, District Judge Chay Yuen Fatt granted the prosecution’s application to hand both men a discharge not amounting to an acquittal.
The prosecution also applied to give Dr Chan a discharge amounting to an acquittal for one of his charges of falsifying accounts, which the judge granted. This means the charge is withdrawn and cannot be brought against him again.
Dr Chan, who was Fullerton Healthcare Corporation’s deputy group CEO, was fined S$135,000 (US$104,600) for submitting false or inflated receipts on multiple occasions for entertainment expenses claims.
Including other charges taken into consideration, his offences involve more than S$253,000 of falsified sums, which the judge described as “by no means insubstantial”.
Dr Tan, who was the company’s group CEO, was fined S$25,000 for approving more than S$82,000 worth of Dr Chan’s falsified claims.
In that instance, Dr Chan had actually incurred 200,000 yuan – equivalent to about S$42,512 at the time – of expenses.
The prosecution had asked for a S$140,000 to S$150,000 fine for Dr Chan and a S$30,000 fine for Dr Tan. The defence argued for a fine of up to S$120,000 for Dr Chan and a S$5,000 fine for Dr Tan.
In delivering their sentences, the judge highlighted that Dr Chan submitted his falsified claims knowing that his colleagues – Dr Tan and the company’s former director David Sin – would approve them.
While he agreed that their offences did not cross the threshold for a prison sentence, he noted that the three men could approve business expense claims without their finance team’s approval.
The group “effectively checked itself” and as a result, their nefarious activities were hard to detect, he added.
In Dr Chan’s case, the judge rejected his lawyers’ claim that he only acted on others’ instructions. Dr Tan and Mr Sin could not have approved Dr Chan’s claims if he had not submitted them, he added.
He also highlighted that Dr Chan had admitted to his role in asking for the falsified receipts to make the claims, and that the doctor would have been able to appreciate the implication of using false receipts or submitting such claims.
As for Dr Tan, the judge noted his lawyers’ attempt to characterise his involvement as a one-off decision where he acted out of character and a failure to discharge his executive responsibility.
But the judge agreed with the prosecution that Dr Tan still played a critical role by approving the false claim, knowing that it was inflated to provide financial assistance to Aon Singapore’s former CEO Collin Chiew.
According to court documents, the money from the falsified expense claims was intended for Chiew. He allegedly asked Dr Chan for financial assistance because he needed money for his children and house, and Dr Chan told Dr Tan about the request.
Dr Chan then collected inflated or falsified receipts from the country managing director of Fullerton Health China, and submitted them as claims after his multiple business trips overseas. A number of these claims were used to get money from the company to provide the funds Chiew had asked for, court documents said.
They had also supposedly agreed to pay Chiew for “consultancy services” provided to Fullerton Healthcare Corporation.
The two doctors are the remaining Fullerton Health Corporation employees dealt with in this case. Chiew, who is expected to stand trial on Jul 15, remains accused of taking bribes and money laundering.
Source: CNA/hw
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