Maid who stole over $57k of gold bars and jewellery from employer jailed 15 months
A domestic helper pocketed gold bars and jewellery worth more than $57,000 from a drawer in her employer’s master bedroom, which was kept unlocked for her to clean.
Sri Hastuti, 39, then pawned the items at multiple pawnshops around the country and transferred the cash to her family in Indonesia.
She did this for more than a year before the thefts were discovered by her employer.
Sri Hastuti was sentenced to 15 months’ jail on Nov 21 after pleading guilty to one charge of theft as a servant of an employer’s property. Court documents said that she was employed by a German man at his residence in the Marine Parade area, but did not say when she started working there.
State Prosecuting Officer Mohd Nasri Haron said the offence happened between July 2022 and September 2023.
The employer made a police report on Oct 1, 2023, saying that multiple items were missing from a drawer in the master bedroom.
Sri Hastuti stole 66 items, including gold bars, gold and diamond jewellery, such as an 18K white gold ring and two four-carat white diamond ear studs. The most expensive item was a Rolex watch valued at $20,000.
The items she stole were worth $57,152 in total.
The police later discovered 31 pawn tickets in her possession.
She admitted to the offence and also to pawning the items for cash.
The police managed to recover some items worth $41,160 from the pawnshops.
Besides the recovered items, she did not make any restitution to her employer or the pawnshops.
The helper, who is currently in remand, did not have a lawyer and represented herself in court proceedings.
For her offence of theft as a servant of an employer’s property, she could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now