Cash is invisible. It doesn't leave a trail the way a bank transfer does.
In Singapore's Geylang district, a porridge shop owner named Buntono has been brought before the courts on 30 charges alleging nearly a decade of systematic tax concealment and money laundering — a case that quietly asks how ordinary commerce can become the surface of something far more elaborate. The alleged gap between a humble neighborhood eatery and a Lamborghini, a landed property, and millions in hidden cash is precisely the kind of distance that draws the attention of the state. When two government agencies converge on a single individual, the story is rarely only about money; it is about the invisible architectures people build between what they show and what they keep.
- Authorities allege Buntono systematically understated his business income every year from 2016 to 2024, quietly draining nearly $2 million in income tax from public coffers.
- A separate scheme — deliberately avoiding GST registration — concealed another $1.8 million in tax liability, bringing the total alleged evasion to $3.8 million across two interlocking strategies.
- The investigation surfaced a striking contrast: over $2.4 million in cash, a landed property in Serangoon Gardens, and a Lamborghini Aventador, all allegedly purchased with proceeds from the schemes.
- The Inland Revenue Authority and the Singapore Police Force launched a joint investigation, a coordinated response that signals the seriousness with which authorities are treating the alleged concealment.
- Buntono, 49, has not yet entered a plea, and the case returns to court in August — each money laundering charge alone carrying the possibility of ten years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Buntono runs a porridge shop in Geylang that has long been part of the neighborhood's fabric. On July 3, he appeared in court facing 30 charges — three for money laundering and 27 for tax violations — that together describe nearly a decade of alleged financial concealment.
The scale is significant. Prosecutors allege he understated his business income consistently from 2016 through 2024, leaving the government short approximately $2 million in income tax. In a separate scheme, he is accused of deliberately avoiding registration for Goods and Services Tax, concealing a further $1.8 million in liability — bringing the total alleged evasion to close to $3.8 million.
What sharpens the case is what investigators found alongside the numbers: more than $2.4 million in cash, a landed property on Brockhampton Drive in Serangoon Gardens, and a Lamborghini Aventador, all allegedly acquired with proceeds from the tax schemes. The precise values of the property and vehicle remain officially undisclosed.
The charges emerged from a joint investigation by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Police Force — a coordination that reflects the breadth of what was uncovered. Each money laundering conviction carries a potential sentence of up to ten years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
Buntono, who goes by a single name in both business and court records, is 49 years old and has not yet entered a plea. The case returns to court in August, leaving the owner of a modest neighborhood shop suspended, for now, between the life he presented and the one authorities say he was living.
Buntono runs a porridge shop in Geylang that has become something of a neighborhood fixture. On July 3, he walked into court facing 30 charges—three for money laundering, 27 for tax violations—that paint a picture of nearly a decade of systematic financial concealment.
The numbers are substantial. Authorities allege he evaded close to $3.8 million in taxes across multiple schemes. The first involved understating his business income year after year, from 2016 through 2024, a pattern that left the government short roughly $2 million in income tax revenue. Separately, he is accused of deliberately hiding his obligation to register for Goods and Services Tax, a move that resulted in another $1.8 million in uncollected GST.
What makes the case notable is not just the scale but the assets it uncovered. Investigators found more than $2.4 million in cash. They also identified a landed property on Brockhampton Drive in Serangoon Gardens and a Lamborghini Aventador—both allegedly purchased with proceeds from the tax schemes. The court documents do not specify what the house or the sports car are worth, leaving those valuations a matter of official silence.
The Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Police Force launched a joint investigation that led to these charges. The coordination between tax and law enforcement agencies suggests the scope of what they uncovered warranted serious scrutiny. Money laundering charges carry teeth: conviction on any single count can result in up to a decade in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
Buntono, 49, goes by only one name in business and in court records. He has not yet entered a plea. His case will return to court in August, when the machinery of the justice system will move forward again. For now, the porridge shop owner sits at the intersection of a modest neighborhood business and an alleged financial operation large enough to catch the attention of two government agencies working in tandem.
Notable Quotes
For each count of money laundering, an offender can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000 or both.— Singapore legal statute on money laundering penalties
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
A porridge shop—how does that generate nearly $3.8 million in tax evasion? That seems like an enormous gap between what a small food business should be making and what he allegedly hid.
That's the question, isn't it. The charges span nine years. If you're systematically underreporting income across that many years, and the total shortfall is that large, it suggests either the business was far more profitable than a casual customer would guess, or the money flowing through it came from somewhere else entirely.
The Lamborghini and the $2.4 million in cash—those are the things that made investigators look closer, I imagine.
Almost certainly. You don't accumulate that kind of liquid cash and buy a six-figure sports car on a porridge shop's legitimate margins without drawing attention. The cash especially—that's the kind of thing that sits in a bank account or gets spent. Having $2.4 million in physical cash is a choice.
Why would someone do that? Why not just spend it, or invest it normally?
Cash is invisible. It doesn't leave a trail the way a bank transfer does. If you're trying to hide the source of money, keeping it in hand is one way to do it. Though eventually, someone notices.
The GST concealment—deliberately hiding the obligation to register. That's not an accident.
No. That's intentional. You don't accidentally fail to register for GST for years. That's a deliberate choice to avoid a tax obligation you knew existed.
What happens now?
He goes back to court in August. The charges are serious enough that if convicted, he could spend a decade in prison. But that's months away. For now, it's just the charges and the waiting.