28 months' jail for maid who stole more than S$160,000 from 94-year-old man
- After learning the PIN number to the bank account of a 94-year-old man she was caring for, Siti Nuryanti proceeded to withdraw S$162,000 from his account
- She pleaded guilty to one charge of stealing S$48,400, with another two theft charges for the rest of the money taken into consideration
- A district judge noted that she had taken a large amount from an elderly man, and sentenced her to 28 months' jail
- She had stolen the money to repay her debts to unlicensed moneylenders and to debtors in Indonesia
BY
LORAINE LEE
Published August 24, 2023Updated August 24, 2023
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SINGAPORE — After memorising the PIN number of the elderly man she was caring for, a domestic helper proceeded to withdraw S$162,000 from his bank account.
On Thursday (Aug 24), Indonesian Siti Nuryanti, 41, was sentenced to 28 months' jail for one charge of theft of S$48,400.
Another two similar charges for the theft of the rest of the money were taken into consideration.
Nuryanti had stolen the money to repay her debts to unlicensed moneylenders and to pay debtors in Indonesia, said Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Jason Chua.
As a domestic helper, Nuryanti's main duties were to help care for the household’s three children and housework.
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While another domestic helper was employed to take care of 94-year-old Palliathu Samuel Chacko, Nuryanti would occasionally help out.
Sometime in 2022, she accompanied Mr Chacko to an ATM machine, where she learned the PIN number to access his POSB account.
Knowing that he kept his ATM card in his purse in his room, Nuryanti would take his card multiple times to use at various ATMs in Singapore.
Nuryanti made 50 withdrawals between January and April 2023, stealing S$48,400.
On April 18, 2023, Mr Chacko’s son discovered the money had been withdrawn from Mr Chacko’s bank account. He then made a police report.
'SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT STOLEN' FROM VULNERABLE VICTIM: DPP
DPP Chua called for a sentence of between two and two-and-a-half years' jail for Nuryanti.He noted that the total amount stolen was a "significant amount" and over an extended period.
“The victim is also a vulnerable elderly man who is 94-years-old,” he added.
Nuryanti also had not made any restitution to Mr Chacko.
Pleading for leniency, Nuryanti apologised for stealing and added that she has a six-year-old child and a sick mother to care for.
“My sick mother suffers from high blood pressure and (had a) heart attack. I’m the sole breadwinner,” she said in Bahasa.
District Judge Kenneth Chin said that Nuryanti’s circumstances are "not exceptional" and that she had taken a large amount from an elderly victim.
After sentencing Nuryanti to 28 months' imprisonment, District Judge Chin said: “It is the hope of this court that you will learn your lesson and stay away from crime after your release.”
Her sentence was backdated to July 18, the date of her arrest.
For each count of theft from an employer, Nuryanti could have been jailed for up to seven years, and be liable to a fine.
