Former Haidilao employee jailed for stealing colleagues’ debit cards, cash

SINGAPORE — Under pressure from loan sharks, a man working at hot pot chain Haidilao’s 313@somerset outlet stole three of his colleagues’ debit cards and S$150 in cash from their bags.

Wong Chun Yao, 25, used the cards to top up his personal transit card before withdrawing about S$1,000 in cash from various ticket counters at MRT stations.

He also stole money and debit cards from a colleague at his other workplace — the Ginza Kuroson fish market at Ngee Ann City’s Takashimaya department store.

Wong was sentenced to five weeks’ jail on Friday (Oct 30) after pleading guilty to five charges of theft and unauthorised access to computer material. 

Another nine similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing.

The court heard that he committed the offences from Aug 16 to Oct 19 last year.

The first incident happened after Wong’s colleague — a 22-year-old Malaysian woman — placed her bag on the top of a backroom shelf where employees stored their belongings.

Wong opened the bag later that day and took her debit card from her purse. He then used it to top up his ez-link card with S$100 through the PayWave function at Somerset MRT Station.

When the transaction was approved, he went to the TransitLink ticket office and withdrew the S$100 in cash.

With the same modus operandi, he used another 64-year-old colleague’s debit card to withdraw S$200 a week later.

When the second colleague realised her card was missing, she reported it to the management. 

Wong subsequently admitted his actions to his supervisor who advised him to go to the police station and surrender himself.

He has since made full restitution to his victims.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Chong Yong sought at least six weeks’ jail, while Wong’s lawyer Azri Imran Tan asked for a shorter jail term as it was “a very unusual case”.

Mr Tan told the court that his client was “under so much pressure from loan shark harassment” when he took the cards and money.

“He was not in a position to give full restitution, given how much he earns and gives back to his family, but he did so anyway and he should be given full credit,” the lawyer said, adding that Wong now has a full-time job. 

“I hope the sentence will be fair and not crushing so he has a job to go back to,” Mr Tan added.

District Judge Christopher Goh noted that the prosecution’s submissions were “actually quite fair” but took into account when sentencing that Wong had pleaded guilty and paid his victims back.

For theft in a dwelling, he could have been jailed up to seven years and fined.

For unauthorised access to computer material, he could have been jailed up to two years or fined up to S$5,000, or both.