SINGAPORE, Nov 7 — A Singapore woman was sentenced to 12 months in prison today, for stealing more than S$150,000 (RM498,447) in donations from the Tampines Chinese Temple, where she had worked as an administrative clerk since 1995.
According to The Straits Times, Goh Bee Hiang, 59, responsible for handling finances and issuing receipts for donations, misappropriated the funds between September 2018 and December 2019.
Her crimes were discovered in 2020 during the temple’s annual general meeting, when Goh failed to produce necessary bank documents.
The prosecution revealed that Goh had stolen about S$28,000 in 2018 and S$123,006 in 2019, covering her tracks by delaying the submission of donation records until she could replace the stolen money with new donations.
Goh was caught in August 2020 when the temple’s chairman requested the bank statements, prompting her confession.
In court, Goh pleaded guilty to one count of criminal breach of trust (CBT), with another charge taken into consideration.
The prosecution sought a sentence of 13 to 15 months, noting the substantial theft and her efforts to conceal it.
ST reported Goh’s lawyer, Tham Kok Leong, as saying that she had stolen the money to pay for her late brother’s medical bills and highlighted her financial struggles.
He urged the court for a more lenient sentence, citing Goh’s age and unemployment since the incident.
Goh, who had no prior convictions, has made partial restitution of S$5,000 alongside her siblings.
Under Singapore law, CBT can lead to a prison sentence of up to 15 years and a fine.
