Ex-Pokka manager jailed for selling S$1.3 million worth of beverages that ended up in North Korea - CNA

SINGAPORE: A manager at Pokka International sold about S$1.3 million worth of beverages such as strawberry milk and coffee to various companies, knowing they would eventually be exported to North Korea.

Singaporean Phua Sze Hee, 59, was sentenced to five weeks' jail on Monday (Dec 12) after he pleaded guilty to four charges of breaching Regulation of Imports and Exports Regulations, with another 24 charges taken into consideration.

It is illegal for any Singapore citizen or anyone in Singapore to trade certain goods with North Korea. On top of this, a trade prohibition on all commercial goods from or to North Korea was imposed in November 2017.

The court heard that Phua began working as a channel manager at Pokka in 2009. His customers included ship stores, vendors of vending machines, office suppliers, funeral parlours and wholesale companies.

The company had a monthly sales target of S$1.25 million that Phua had to meet.

In 2014, a friend introduced Phua to a customer named Zheng Shi Qiang. Zheng was the director of several companies and in turn introduced Phua to a man known only as Mr Kim.

Mr Kim was working as an ambassador at the North Korean embassy in Singapore, the court heard.

Zheng would buy Pokka beverages from Phua, and Mr Kim occasionally liaised with Phua over the beverages that Zheng bought. Mr Kim also would raise issues with Phua about the sale of the drinks.

After Mr Kim died in 2015, Zheng introduced Phua to a man named in court documents only as Mr Mun. Mr Mun also worked at the North Korean embassy.

Zheng introduced Mr Mun as his business partner for the purchase of Pokka beverages.

Phua found out from Zheng that the Pokka drinks sold to his companies were meant to be exported to North Korea for sale there.

Between Nov 29, 2017 and Sep 25, 2018, Phua sold Pokka beverages to businesses in Singapore, knowing that the drinks would thereafter be exported to North Korea for commercial trade.

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