Jail for repeat offender who stole cash from clinic's safe, colleagues' credit and debit cards

Straits Times

8 hours ago

Ong Ee Min was sentenced to 18 months' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of cheating, two counts of theft, and one count of theft by a servant. ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
Jail for repeat offender who stole cash from clinic's safe, colleagues' credit and debit cards
SINGAPORE – Despite multiple prior convictions for theft, a recalcitrant offende r continued to steal from colleagues and her employer in 2024 while working as a clinic assistant, using the stolen cash, credit and debit cards to buy goods such as iPhones.
On June 20, Ong Ee Min, 34, was sentenced to 18 months' jail after pleading guilty to two counts of cheating, two counts of theft, and one count of theft by a servant.
The prosecution asked for 13 charges of similar nature to be taken into consideration during sentencing.
Ong had also been convicted and jailed on multiple occasions for theft, theft in dwelling, cheating and forgery between 2016 and 2022.
On Aug 2, 2024, while working at Mount Alvernia Hospital, she took a wallet belonging to her colleague from a staff room.
She then took a bus to Junction 8, Bishan, where she purchased an iPhone 15 Pro for more than $1,500, using her colleague's debit card taken from the wallet.
She also stole a doctor's credit card on Nov 22, 2024.
The doctor, from a clinic in Mount Elizabeth Hospital where Ong was also employed, made a police report after she discovered unauthorised transactions at 313 Orchard were being made using her card.
Investigations found that Ong had entered the doctor's office earlier that day, to try on the clinic uniform. While she was inside, she spotted the doctor's wallet on the table and removed a credit card from it.
Later that evening, Ong went to 313 Orchard and bought an iPhone 16 Pro valued at more than $1,700. She threw the credit card into a bin afterwards, and sold the phone to an unknown person.
On Nov 29, 2024, a nurse at Mount Elizabeth Hospital made a police report after her husband informed her that he had been notified of unusual transactions on her credit card.
She then realised that her card holder, containing her credit cards, was missing from her handbag.
Investigations revealed that Ong had taken the card holder out of the nurse's handbag at the hospital's cafe when she had left it unattended for a moment.
On Dec 2, 2024, another doctor from Mount Elizabeth Medical Centre made a police report after she discovered money from the clinic's safe deposit box had gone missing.
The doctor also reported finding a pin near the deposit box that she suspected the culprit used to pick the lock.
Investigations later revealed that Ong had stolen $800 from the safe between Nov 27 and Dec 2 that year. She had also taken $50 in supermarket vouchers from an envelope in the room.
The court heard that Ong has since made full restitution to the victims.
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