Former Deputy Director Foo Siang Chi Sentenced to Prison for Fraud and Voyeurism at NUS and SUTD

Foo Siang Chi, 55, faced a significant blow to his professional reputation when he was sentenced to 46 weeks in prison on April 8, 2025, after pleading guilty to multiple serious charges. The former senior executive at two prominent Singapore universities has been convicted of fraud and voyeurism offenses spanning several years. He is expected to begin serving his prison sentence on April 15, 2025.

The Double Life: How Foo Siang Chi Deceived Colleagues and Victims

Foo Siang Chi held the position of deputy director of the Office of Facilities Management (OFM) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) from May 2013 until his termination in 2018. What colleagues and employers did not know was that he was concealing significant financial troubles. When he joined NUS, Foo Siang Chi failed to disclose that he was already burdened with approximately $600,000 in debt due to his gambling habit.

In early 2015, Foo Siang Chi leveraged his financial distress to exploit the compassion of a 58-year-old colleague who became aware of his dire situation. This coworker, unaware of Foo’s gambling addiction, agreed to help him resolve his mounting debts. Between April 28 and July 3, 2015, the sympathetic colleague issued multiple checks totaling $85,500 to Foo Siang Chi. Additionally, around July 6, 2015, the colleague arranged a personal bank loan of $120,000, which he passed directly to Foo Siang Chi. The total amount fraudulently obtained exceeded $205,000.

Deputy Prosecutor Alexandria Shamini Joseph revealed during court proceedings that Foo Siang Chi deliberately withheld the true purpose of these loans. Despite his colleague’s assumption that the money would clear his outstanding debts, Foo Siang Chi funneled the funds directly into his gambling activities. On one occasion, when creditors came to NUS demanding repayment, they confronted Foo Siang Chi at his office. His colleague intervened to protect him, only to discover afterward that Foo Siang Chi’s situation was far more complicated than initially understood.

Years of Criminal Conduct: From Loan Fraud to Voyeurism

While perpetrating the fraud at NUS, Foo Siang Chi engaged in a parallel criminal enterprise. From April to August 2018, he used his mobile phone to secretly film at least four upskirt videos. Two of these voyeuristic recordings were captured on the NUS campus itself, taking advantage of his position within the university to commit these violations.

After his termination from NUS in 2018, Foo Siang Chi secured a new position. In February 2019, he joined the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) as director of infrastructure and office equipment. Rather than reform, Foo Siang Chi continued and escalated his criminal behavior. Between March 2019 and March 2020, he recorded approximately 30 additional videos and photographs targeting women in public settings. These recordings took place on public transportation, within shopping malls, and significantly, on the SUTD campus. Two additional voyeuristic recordings were made at SUTD before Foo Siang Chi resigned from the institution in January 2022.

The prosecutor documented that all these recordings targeted “women with legs that he found attractive,” demonstrating a deliberate pattern of predatory behavior spanning nearly two years across multiple locations and two university campuses.

Legal Consequences: Sentencing and Prison Terms for Foo Siang Chi

Foo Siang Chi was formally charged in November 2023, more than a year after his resignation from SUTD. During the sentencing hearing on April 8, 2025, his defense team from Withers KhattarWong—comprising lawyers Shashi Nathan, Jeremy Pereira, and U. Sudharshanraj Naidu—requested a prison sentence of up to nine months. The lawyers emphasized that Foo Siang Chi had fully compensated his former colleague and expressed deep remorse for his actions.

Personal circumstances presented during the hearing revealed that Foo Siang Chi has been estranged from his wife and 18-year-old daughter since 2015, a period coinciding with his fraudulent activities. Despite these mitigating factors, the court imposed the 46-week sentence.

Under Singapore law, fraud convictions carry potential sentences of up to three years imprisonment and substantial fines. Voyeurism convictions can result in up to two years imprisonment, fines, caning, or combinations thereof. However, Foo Siang Chi cannot be subjected to caning due to his age—he exceeds the 50-year threshold for this punishment.

Impact on Universities: Security and Trust Concerns

The case of Foo Siang Chi raises critical questions about institutional security and employee vetting procedures at Singapore’s universities. His tenure in senior infrastructure and facilities positions granted him access to numerous campus locations, which he exploited for criminal purposes. The discovery that he had concealed significant gambling debts and financial instability when hired highlights potential gaps in background screening processes.

For NUS and SUTD, this case represents a significant breach of institutional trust. The fact that Foo Siang Chi was able to commit voyeurism offenses on both campuses while holding management positions suggests the need for enhanced security protocols and more rigorous character assessment procedures for employees in sensitive roles.