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Woman took ART kits from testing centre, sold them online

This article is more than 12 months old

A swab assistant and a centre site manager misappropriated $14,162.50 worth of antigen rapid test (ART) kits from the Covid-19 testing centre where they worked and then sold some of them on e-marketplace Carousell for profit.

The duo did so between Sept and Oct 2021, after discovering that an employee at Tekka Quick Test Centre in Little India had accidentally over-ordered ART kits from the Health Promotion Board (HPB).

To cover up the mistake, Audrey Sau assisted Deng Xiangying, the centre’s site manager, to misappropriate the 103 additional boxes of ART kits. 

On Tuesday, Sau, 24, was sentenced to two weeks’ jail after she pleaded guilty to one charge of dishonest misappropriation of property and one charge under the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act. 

Deng was sentenced to three weeks’ jail last November over her role in the affair.

In September 2021, Sau was working as a swab assistant at Tekka Quick Test Centre, which provided supervised Covid-19 tests to the public during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Around Sept 19, 2021, Deng realised their stock of available ART kits had been miscalculated, causing the testing centre to overorder kits from HPB.

Deng was worried that she and Sau would be in trouble with HPB, and they decided to bring the kits home. On Sept 19, 2021, Sau took two cartons’ worth of kits from the centre. 

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jaime Pang said that a colleague of theirs helped carry out the third carton and loaded it into the van driven by Deng’s sister.

Subsequently, Sau and Deng realised they could sell the ART kits on Carousell for profit. 

Between Sept 29, 2021 and Oct 1, 2021, the duo sold 44 boxes of ART kits to 19 customers, earning $5,363.70. Each box was sold for $100 to $140.

Sau and Deng were subsequently arrested after a police report was lodged on Oct 1, 2021, informing the authorities of their wrongdoings. The remaining 59 boxes they took were recovered during investigations.

The duo were ordered to compensate the Health Promotion Board for the ART kits they sold.

Those found guilty of dishonestly misappropriating property can be jailed for up to two years, fined or both. 

COVID-19 - SINGAPORECOURT & CRIMESINGAPORE CRIME