Indian national jailed for fleeing with employer's cash

An Indian national was jailed for three-and-a-half years on Monday for encashing cheques worth 4,70,000 Singapore dollars of his employer and absconding to Malaysia in March.

Bahurudeen Kuthpudeen, 44, pleaded guilty to one count each of criminal breach of trust and removing from Singapore the benefits of his criminal conduct, reported The Straits Times Tuesday.

The court heard that his employer, AM Mohamed Farook, who operates the Mohamed Thahir Exchange in Collyer Quay, signed three cheques for a total amount of 4,69,900 Singapore dollars at around 3 pm on March 27.

The cheques were meant to be encashed for the purchase of foreign currencies.

He handed the cheques to an employee known only as Babu, who passed them to Bahurudeen.

The business development manager then encashed the cheques at an RHB Bank branch at the nearby Cecil Street.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Melissa Ng said: "Instead of returning to the company, the accused left Singapore via the Woodlands Checkpoint bus hall at 4.46 pm for Malaysia."

When his colleagues failed to find him, they alerted AM Mohamed. He tried to contact Bahurudeen on his mobile phone, but received a ring tone that is usually heard in overseas calls.

He then lodged a police report.

DPP Ng told District Judge Luke Tan that Bahurudeen was later detained at the border of Kedah when he attempted to leave Malaysia for Thailand.

Cash totalling almost USD 24,000 was found in his possession and seized.

The Royal Malaysia Police arrested Bahurudeen on March 28, a day after he encashed the cheques, and he was sent to Singapore on March 29.

Lawyer Siraj Shaik Aziz, who was assigned to the case under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, said 4,58,652 Singapore dollars of the misappropriated amount had been recovered.

Siraj added that his client was his family's sole breadwinner.

His wife had stayed home in India to look after their 13-year-old daughter, who has a disability in her hand.

Stressing that Bahurudeen is "genuinely remorseful", the lawyer told the court: "It was financial difficulties brought on by the need to service a loan for his daughter's hand operation that prompted the commission of the offences in a momentary lapse of judgement."