1183. $46,000 fine for abetment

From what I read in the newspaper, the pet transport man was given $5.00 for every cat he brought to a lay person (a young lady) who would spay or neuter them. I met him at another vet practice recently and asked about his side of the story.

"I did not take any money," he said. "There was no mention of the $5.00 in the first police statement she made. It was in the second statement. I paid $46,000 as a fine for abetment. My lawyer is pursuing this matter. Why would I take $800 over the two years to ruin my reputation?"

Singapore has many caregivers who feed stray cats and get them sterilized and returned to their original premises. The pet transport man is paid to trap and ferry them to and from the vet who will sterilize them. The vet will claim the discounted fees from the Cat Welfare Society or some humane organisations. In this case, the Cat Welfare Society noted a discrepancy in the stamping of the claim forms - two different forms of the chop. The vet practice confirmed that there was a fraudulent stamp.

The young lady worked for a veterinary practice and had gone to Australia to study to be a vet. However, her father passed away soon and she could not continue her studies. She was arrested.

"There are still people who asked me to send the cats to her for sterilization," the transport man said. "Her surgical skills in closing the wound are excellent. Small wounds well stitched up."

"How come you got fined $46,000, an amount similar to hers? It is a large amount of money" I asked.
"For abetment. She got fined another $2,500 for other charges."
"Why did you help her if you don't profit from it?"
"After her father passed away, the Australian vet faculty gave her one month to return back and to pay the fees. She had no money and so the university terminated her place. She needed money to help her family as her father had died."

It is hard for this transport man to defend himself as the newspapers had stated he had accepted $5.00 per cat ferried for the sterilization!