If you purchase something from a provision shop and the uncle gives you an extra dollar by accident, you’d probably notify him and give it back.
This is the right thing to do, and more importantly, something we can later boast about to our loved ones.
But what if you were given $32,000Â by accident?
Most of us wouldn’t be comfortable keeping such a large sum that didn’t belong to us, but that’s exactly what one 25-year-old Singaporean woman did.
Woman Charged as Hospital Continued to Pay Her Salary for a Year Even When She Wasn’t Working There Anymore
You’ve probably heard of companies underpaying their workers (*cough cough* Twelve Cupcakes) but have you ever come across businesses that overpaid their employees?
Even after she was terminated, a former healthcare assistant at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) continued to receive monthly salary for more than a year – amounting to over $32,000.
Instead of informing the hospital about the error, Nurul Atiqah Kamsari used the money for her personal expenses, reported ST.
On Thursday (10 Dec), the 25-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of dishonest concealment of property involving more than $22,000, as well as one charge of cheating.
Another count of dishonest concealment of property for the remaining amount and a second cheating charge will be considered during sentencing, reported The Straits Times.
TTSH appointed Nurul as a healthcare assistant on 20 March 2017.
She earned $1,630 a month and was also entitled to shift allowance.
In 2018, Nurul failed to report to work on 16 and 17 August. She did not notify any of her colleagues or superiors about her absence from work, nor gave any reasons for it.
There was also no prior leave approved by her supervisor.
In line with the terms and conditions of the woman’s employment with TTSH, she was deemed to have voluntarily terminated her service, as she failed to report for work for more than two consecutive days without informing her immediate supervisor.
So, Nurul’s last day was supposed to be on 17 Aug 2018.
“Supposed” is the operative word here.
Bank Account Number Remained in Payroll System
While Nurul no longer worked at the hospital, her details remained in the hospital’s human resource system.
Consequently, her bank account number also erroneously remained in the payroll system.
So, Nurul achieved what many of us dream of at night: to get paid for doing absolutely nothing.
The 25-year-old continued receiving her salary from TTSH from August 2018 to December last year.
Despite knowing she was not entitled to the money, she withdrew, transferred, and deducted over $22,000 in cash between January and December in 2019.
Used Non-existent Staff Medical Benefits
You’d think that an excess $32,000 would be enough for someone.
But even though she received over $30k that she was not entitled to, Nurul lied during a consultation at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital that she was still working at TTSH so she could utilise her non-existent staff medical benefits.
All this, just for a medical bill of $29.60 which was credited to TTSH.
A TTSH senior executive alerted the police in January this year, and Nurul had nowhere to hide.
If convicted of dishonest concealment of property, Nurul will face up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine.
She will return to court for sentencing on 27 Jan.
Featured Image: Miguel Vidal / Shutterstock.com
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