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Ang Boon Chye, 54, a partner in All Family Food Court (AFFC), was also ordered to pay a penalty of $205,698 - three times the amount of tax evaded. He pleaded guilty to six counts of under-declaring his share of the profits from the business, which was $536,535 for the 2000 to 2005 years of assessment.

His conviction and sentence followed that of AFFC's major partner Ang Tin Yong, 48, on Dec 12.

He, too, was jailed six months on similar charges, though the penalty he had to pay was less - $137,185.

The two men are not related.

The case against a third AFFC partner, Wong Kee Yock, 55, will come up for further mention next week.

A magistrate's court heard that Ang Boon Chye was aware that Ang Tin Yong had intentionally falsified the statement of accounts so that the massaged figures could be used to under- declare the partners' share of profits in their respective income tax returns.

A statement from the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore said business partners are responsible for declaring their share of partnership income accurately in their individual income tax returns, since they are taxed based on the profit-sharing ratios.

Ang could have been fined up to $10,000 and/or jailed up to three years on each charge. He received the minimum six months' jail because he was convicted of three or more offences.

ELENA CHONG