Former policeman jailed 7 months for misappropriating cash at work

SINGAPORE: Addicted to online gambling and hoping to repay bank debts for his gambling losses, a policeman misappropriated nearly S$2,000 (US$1500.75) while working and took steps to conceal the matter. 

Muhammad Amzath Khan Abuayubul Ansari, a Singaporean permanent resident, was sentenced to seven months’ jail on Thursday (Mar 6) after pleading guilty to one out of two counts of committing criminal breach of trust as a public servant.

At the time of his offences, Amzath was a sergeant attached to Rochor Neighbourhood Police Centre at 11 Kampong Kapor Road and had been working there for about two years. He was 24 years old then and resigned from service on Sep 26, 2024. 

The case came to light on Aug 25, 2024, after a 19-year-old woman discovered that about S$1,700 in cash was missing from her handbag and lodged a police report. 

She had left her handbag on the pavement outside a condominium the day before, while waiting for her private-hire car, and subsequently boarded the car without it. 

When she realised that her bag was missing, she returned to the condominium but could not find it. She approached the condominium’s security officers, who informed her that they had found the bag and had handed it to the police station where Amzath worked. 

After retrieving the bag from the police station, she realised that cash was missing and filed a police report. 

Investigations revealed that Amzath had been deployed for duty alone at the station’s counter on Aug 25, 2024, when he assisted a condominium security officer, a 43-year-old man, in lodging a found property report. 

The security officer handed over a handbag that his colleague had found on the pavement outside the condominium they worked at, along with a piece of paper listing down the items they found in the handbag, including S$1,755.50 in cash. 

When the man was distracted and not looking, Amzath took the cash from the handbag and hid it under the counter, before sealing the handbag in a polymer bag. He later took the cash from under the counter and put it in the pocket of his trousers. 

At the end of his shift, Amzath left work with the misappropriated cash and shredded the piece of paper that contained the list of items and cash found in the handbag. 

Separately, Amzath was also handed a fine of S$2,000 after pleading guilty to one out of two counts for using an unlicensed gambling service on 200 occasions with a total bet value of S$17,287.88.

FALLING SHORT OF HIGH STANDARDS OF CONDUCT AND MORALITY 

For committing criminal breach of trust as a public servant, Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Li Ting sought seven to eight months’ jail for Amzath. 

Explaining her considerations, Ms Lim said he had committed the offence in the course of his duty as a police officer. 

“As a police officer, he was expected to prevent, deter and detect crime, and to safeguard the public interest,” she said. 

“Instead, he failed in the most fundamental of his duties to preserve and protect the lost and found property that a member of public had entrusted him with. He had clearly fallen short of the high standards of conduct and morality expected of him.”

She added that this was not an isolated incident as he had misappropriated S$200 a month earlier on Jul 22, 2024. This was taken into consideration for his sentencing. 

For his unlawful gambling offence, Ms Lim sought a fine of between S$2,000 and S$2,500. 

When District Judge Wong Peck asked if he had anything to add, Amzath – who was unrepresented in court – said no. 

In handing out his sentence, Judge Wong said she agreed with the prosecution that Amzath’s capacity as a police officer at the time of his offence was an aggravating factor.

“You took steps to conceal the matter (in hopes) that you would not be discovered,” she said.

“Such actions erode public trust in public service … This is a serious matter.”

However, she added that she had also considered that he pleaded guilty at an early stage and did not have any prior convictions. 

For committing criminal breach of trust in his capacity as a public servant, Amzath could have been jailed up to 20 years and fined. 

Those found guilty of offences linked to unlawful gambling activities can be jailed for up to six months and/or fined up to S$10,000 for each charge.