As reported in The Straits Times — A young Singapore lawyer who used a found credit card to make more than $4,300 in purchases has been disbarred by the Court of Three Judges, the highest disciplinary authority for lawyers in Singapore.
A Costly Moment of “Greed and Stupidity”
30-year-old Li Zhongsheng, who was admitted to the Bar in August 2021, found a cardholder left behind in a private-hire car in August 2022. Rather than turning it in, Li used one of the credit cards inside to buy a packet of cigarettes as a test purchase at Cheers convenience store in Northpoint City.
When the transaction went through, Li decided to make larger purchases later that day — including a $3,198 laptop, a $635 warranty, and a $349 speaker at Harvey Norman, amounting to $4,349 in total.
Court documents revealed that Li even fabricated buyer names and contact details — “Brandon Tan” and “Jonathan Chua” — to avoid being traced.
The card owner quickly detected the fraudulent use through a transaction alert, contacted the private-hire driver, and filed a police report that evening. Li was arrested the following day and made full restitution.
Conviction and Disbarment
In February 2025, Li was sentenced to three weeks’ jail after pleading guilty to a cheating charge. Two other charges — for dishonest misappropriation and a separate cheating offence — were taken into consideration.
Following his conviction, the Attorney-General’s Chambers referred the case to the Law Society of Singapore, which filed an application to strike him off the rolls. The Court of Three Judges — comprising Justices Steven Chong, Belinda Ang, and Hri Kumar Nair — upheld the disbarment on Oct 14, 2025, citing dishonesty as the decisive factor.
The court said that offences involving fraud or dishonesty normally warrant disbarment unless there are exceptional circumstances, which were not present in this case.
Mental Health and Remorse
While Li’s lawyers from Quahe Woo & Palmer, Mr Sunil Sudheesan and Ms Joyce Khoo, argued that he had been struggling with major depressive disorder and workplace stress, the court found no causal link between his condition and the offence.
However, the judges acknowledged that Li had apologised, made full restitution, and was undergoing regular psychiatric treatment and therapy.
They noted that while these steps did not excuse his misconduct, they demonstrated genuine efforts at rehabilitation.
A Fall from Grace
Once a promising young lawyer, Li’s downfall stemmed from what he himself described as being “greedy and stupid.” His actions, though short-lived, were enough to cost him his professional standing permanently.
The court concluded that striking him off was necessary to protect public confidence in the legal profession and to reaffirm that honesty is non-negotiable in legal practice.
Key Takeaways
- Li Zhongsheng, 30, disbarred for using found credit card to spend over $4,300.
- Convicted of cheating and served three weeks in jail.
- Full restitution made, and he is receiving psychiatric treatment.
- Court of Three Judges ruled disbarment was necessary due to dishonesty.
