SINGAPORE: An employer checked through her domestic worker’s belongings a week before she was set to return to her home country and realised that the maid been stealing from her.
The Philippine national, who had worked for her employer for about one-and-a-half years, had stolen foreign currencies, cash and jewellery amounting to a total of S$14,733.35.
Castro Meldy Aloquina, 32, was sentenced to five months’ jail on Wednesday (Dec 29) after pleading guilty to one count of theft by servant.
The court heard that Castro worked for her 46-year-old employer at her flat from June 2020 for S$662 per month. If she did not take days off, she would get S$692 per month.
Before November 2021, Castro decided to stop working for her employer and was set to return home on Nov 28.
At about 11pm on Nov 20, her employer made a check on Castro's belongings as she was to return home soon.
She found a stack of foreign currencies, household items and jewellery that belonged to her. She called the police the next day.
Investigations revealed that Castro began stealing from her employer from January this year, taking items from her wallet and drawers as she went about her daily chores.
Between January and November this year, Castro stole from her employer on at least 50 different occasions.
She was found with assorted jewellery and currencies including a S$1,491 bracelet and a S$477 gold chain.
In mitigation, Castro said she was remorseful and wanted to go home as soon as possible as her son suffered a fracture due to a fall from a tree.
For theft by servant, she could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Artmotion Asia
