SINGAPORE — The former Chief of Protocol with the Foreign Affairs Ministry, who was involved in a pineapple tarts-and-wine purchasing scandal, pleaded guilty yesterday to 10 counts of falsifying claims amounting to about S$35,000.

Lim Cheng Hoe, 61, also admitted to 50 counts of cheating amounting to about S$54,000, which would be taken into consideration during sentencing. He had submitted the false expense claims between February 2008 and May 2012.

Lim made claims for more than 10,000 boxes of pineapple tarts, when only 2,200 boxes were used as gifts for foreign officials.

Lim, who became familiar with the shopkeepers selling the tarts, had asked them for blank receipts which he filled up himself. The shopkeepers agreed to his request as they thought Lim had felt that their handwriting was not legible.

As for the bottles of wine, Lim used genuine receipts, but he bought more bottles than he had planned to take on his official trips.

He had made claims for 248 bottles of wine, but used only 89.

Prosecutor Kelvin Kow yesterday called for a jail sentence of 18 months, saying that Lim’s actions had not only offended the sensibilities of the public, but also cast a negative light on public servants.

While Lim had made full restitution, he had brought disrepute to the ministry, Mr Kow said.

Defence lawyer Philip Fong, pointing to Lim’s stellar record at work, argued that his client did not commit the offences to profit from them.

Instead, Mr Fong said, Lim did so to overcome red tape and do his job better. He urged the court to impose a sentence of eight to 10 months.

District Judge Eddy Tham will sentence Lim on Thursday. The maximum punishment for cheating, by inflating claims as a public servant, is a 10-year jail term and a fine for each charge. CLAIRE HUANG