SINGAPORE, May 9 — A former prison officer was fined S$300 (RM995) for stealing four boxes of lozenges worth just over S$21 from a supermarket in Circuit Road, Singapore last year.
The Straits Times reported that Eddie Tan Kyim Hiong, 47, pleaded guilty to a charge of theft and was sentenced on Wednesday. The incident took place on the evening of June 28, 2024, at a Sheng Siong outlet.
According to the facts of the case, a retail assistant, suspicious of Tan’s behaviour, kept an eye on him and later noticed he had placed the lozenges into a pouch without paying for them.
After Tan paid for some apples and exited the store, the staff member confronted him and recovered the unpaid items. The police were called shortly before 7.50pm.
At the time of the offence, Tan was employed by the Singapore Prison Service (SPS).
He was subsequently redeployed to non-sensitive administrative duties during police investigations, before resigning on March 1 this year.
In a statement issued on May 8, the SPS said it takes misconduct by its officers seriously: “All prison officers are expected to uphold exemplary standards of integrity, discipline, and personal conduct. Those who commit offences will be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
Tan could have faced up to three years’ jail and a fine under Singapore’s laws on theft.
