Singapore: former CRA executive jailed for stealing printer cartridges

A former senior executive at the casino regulator has been sentenced to over two years in jail.

Singapore.- A former senior executive at Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) has been sentenced to two years and a month in jail for stealing printer cartridges worth over SG$93,000 (US$70,000). He stole the cartridges from the regulator and sold them online. 

Zulkiflie Yacob, who no longer works in casino regulation, pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal breach of trust for the theft of 621 ink cartridges worth nearly SG$80,000. A third charge for stealing 132 cartridges valued at more than SG$13,000 was factored into sentencing.

Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority regulated casinos in Singapore until it was replaced by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Singapore (GRA) last August. Zulkiflee’s responsibilities at the CRA included sourcing office supplies and purchasing printer cartridges. According to The Straits Times, from April 1, 2016, to October 30, 2018, he deliberately ordered more ink cartridges than needed inorder to steal them.

Zulkiflie defended his printer cartridge purchases in the quarterly purchase approval process, citing their alignment with the previous quarter’s cartridge use. He proceeded to sell them on the online marketplace Carousell.

The CRA detected inconsistencies between the number of cartridges bought and the quantity used and the number remaining in stock. It filed a police report, and Zulkiflie was apprehended and subsequently granted bail on March 12, 2020,

During the investigation, Zulkiflie claimed that he had financial problems and used the sales proceeds from the stolen cartridges to pay his bills. On January 15 this year, Zulkiflie made a partial restitution of SG$25,000 to the GRA.

Zulkiflie’s lawyer, Azri Imran Tan, argued for a sentence of not more than 16 months in jail, stating that his client had handed over all the profits he received from the offences. Tan added that the toners and cartridges were sold at a markdown from their original purchase prices, at around SG$50 to SG$100 each.

Zulkiflie’s bail was set at SG$15,000. He is expected to surrender to the State Courts on April 28 to begin his jail term.