<TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%"><TBODY><TR>Home > Breaking News > Singapore > Story
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<TR>Aug 20, 2009
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Embassy staff took $710,000 <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Six years' jail for woman who used unauthorised fee 'refunds' for extravagances </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Sujin Thomas
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->WHEN a former cashier at the United States Embassy here wanted money to renovate her flat and to cover her partying expenses and other extravagances, she knew just where to get it.
Hasrinah Hassan, 35, helped herself to a total of US$488,954 (S$710,000) over six years through 'refunds' of consular fees which would-be travellers paid to the US government for their visas, passports and other services. Her job as consular cashier was to ensure that they were properly accounted for.
When discrepancies on processed refunds emerged earlier this year, an embassy staff member went to the police.
On Wednesday, Hasrinah was jailed for six years on three charges of criminal breach of trust.
Court documents said her first foray into fraud began in early 2003, when visa officer Jamsari Atan with American Express Travel asked her for an illegal refund of US$100 for his customer's visa.
After much persuasion, she agreed to get him the refund without obtaining authorisation from a consular officer, as was required under embassy rules.
He pocketed the money, the court heard. He came back a month later, asking her to do the same and she complied.
Thinking she could get away with taking money on a regular basis, she went on to do it two or three times a month. As time went by, she did it more frequently and took more each time.
The money went into renovating her Woodlands flat and holidays to Thailand, Australia, Japan and the US with Jamsari and her family. She also bought car accessories for him and high-end cosmetics, perfumes, designer handbags and mobile phones.
Last year alone, she misappropriated US$137,609. In the course of the investigation, police seized cash and items like a Prada bag and a Louis Vuitton wristlet bag.
[email protected]
</TR>
<TR>Aug 20, 2009
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Embassy staff took $710,000 <!--10 min-->
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><TR>Six years' jail for woman who used unauthorised fee 'refunds' for extravagances </TR><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Sujin Thomas
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"-->WHEN a former cashier at the United States Embassy here wanted money to renovate her flat and to cover her partying expenses and other extravagances, she knew just where to get it.
Hasrinah Hassan, 35, helped herself to a total of US$488,954 (S$710,000) over six years through 'refunds' of consular fees which would-be travellers paid to the US government for their visas, passports and other services. Her job as consular cashier was to ensure that they were properly accounted for.
When discrepancies on processed refunds emerged earlier this year, an embassy staff member went to the police.
On Wednesday, Hasrinah was jailed for six years on three charges of criminal breach of trust.
Court documents said her first foray into fraud began in early 2003, when visa officer Jamsari Atan with American Express Travel asked her for an illegal refund of US$100 for his customer's visa.
After much persuasion, she agreed to get him the refund without obtaining authorisation from a consular officer, as was required under embassy rules.
He pocketed the money, the court heard. He came back a month later, asking her to do the same and she complied.
Thinking she could get away with taking money on a regular basis, she went on to do it two or three times a month. As time went by, she did it more frequently and took more each time.
The money went into renovating her Woodlands flat and holidays to Thailand, Australia, Japan and the US with Jamsari and her family. She also bought car accessories for him and high-end cosmetics, perfumes, designer handbags and mobile phones.
Last year alone, she misappropriated US$137,609. In the course of the investigation, police seized cash and items like a Prada bag and a Louis Vuitton wristlet bag.
[email protected]
