Benjie Ng Ser Kwei, 71, owner of The Golden Tree Foundation and director/shareholder at Soon Thian Keing (Tua Konsi), and Jovel Lim Yi’an, 39, were charged on May 29, 2025, with three counts of extortion and one count of cheating each in Singapore courts [1, 2, 3].
The Golden Tree Foundation manages philanthropic trusts, while Soon Thian Keing (Tua Konsi) Ltd is connected to the Soon Thian Kheng temple in Geylang [1, 2, 3].
Court documents allege that Ng and Lim conspired on February 10, 2025, to cheat a man by falsely claiming to be representatives from the "PAP public policy forum" in order to induce a donation [1, 2, 3].
During February 2025, the pair are further accused of extorting three individuals — a woman and two men — by threatening reputational damage and investigations if they did not provide financial contributions [1, 2, 3].
The alleged extortion amounts include at least $10,000 for the woman and $50,000 for one of the men. The sum involved in the second man's case was not disclosed [1, 2, 3].
The court filings did not clarify which organizations Ng and Lim were representing during these alleged acts [1, 2, 3].
If convicted, each extortion count carries a jail term of two to five years and caning. Ng, being over 50 years old, is exempt from caning [1, 2, 3].
No further information about Jovel Lim Yi’an beyond the charges has been released [1, 2, 3].
The next court hearing for Ng and Lim has been adjourned to June 26, 2025 [1, 2, 3].
