Woman who stole over $27,000 from employer's cafe jailed 8 months
A woman who conspired with seven others to steal more than $27,000 from their employer’s cafe was sentenced to eight months’ jail on Tuesday (26 September).
Philippine national Sahra Dio-As Sultan Ahmed, 26, pleaded guilty to one charge of criminal breach of trust in the State Courts.
The court heard that Ahmed had been hired as a cashier at the Hajjah Mariam Cafe in Westgate mall in December 2016. Immediately after joining, she was taken under the wing of a fellow Filipino cashier, 28-year-old Amores Dann Carlo Charito.
While Charito was supposed to show Ahmed the ropes at work, he also taught her how to steal cash from the register. Ahmed agreed to do so at the end of each work day.
The stolen cash would then be split among a group of eight staff, including the cafe’s cooks and servers. Ahmed would also get her share of the proceeds on days when she was not on duty.
About $300 to $400 would be taken from the cash register every day by the various staff members.
In total, over $27,000 was stolen between December 2016 and March 2017 by Ahmed alone, said Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li.
Ahmed was caught after a customer spotted her stealing from the cash register and informed the stall’s manager via Facebook. The manager later confronted Ahmed, who admitted to her actions, and called the police.
During Ahmed’s arrest, $300 was recovered from her person while a further $8,000 in cash was found at her place of residence. She had used some of the stolen money on her personal expenses.
Ahmed, who spoke through a translator, said that she was “sorry and remorseful” for her wrongdoings. “I’m pleading for a light sentence to go back home as soon as possible,” she said.
DPP Li pushed for a sentence of at least nine months. District Judge Kan Shun Weng handed Ahmed an eight-month sentence after considering that she had fully cooperated with the authorities and had pleaded guilty early on.
Ahmed, however, pleaded for an even lower sentence, to which DJ Kan replied, “There is no such thing.”
Of the eight co-conspirators in the case, only two have been caught. Mohamad Affindi Bin Yahay, a 22-year-old Malaysian, has also been charged with criminal breach of trust.
Six others – Charito and fellow Filipino Joey Encarnacion Duazo as well as Malaysians Ahmad Farhan Fuad, Shazmirul Satiman, Azhad Hakim and Faiz Ahmad Rusli – have left Singapore and remain at large.
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