Supervisor takes money intended for foreign workers' 'vulnerable to exploitation'
A safety supervisor in Singapore was sentenced to 11 weeks in jail for pocketing over $11,000 from a group of foreign workers, money that was intended for training courses.
Roslie Mohd Yunos, 56, pleaded guilty to a charge of criminal breach of trust. Three additional charges of cheating were considered in his sentencing, The Straits Times reported.
Roslie, who worked for Sinopec Fifth Construction, was approached by about 30 Bangladeshi workers between October and November 2023. The workers sought his help to enrol in safety training courses after the completion of the project they were working, a request that Roslie raised to management. The company, however, did not approve the courses.
Despite this, Roslie circulated application forms for various courses and told the workers they would each need to pay $1,700, according to the report.
Roslie received more than $11,000 overall after the collection, which he used to settle personal debts.
After the workers discovered that Sinopec did not approve the training courses, Roslie struggled to return the full amount. However, he eventually reimbursed the entire sum.
In court, Deputy Public Prosecutor David Menon called for a sentence of three to four months' jail, emphasising the abuse of trust and the workers' vulnerable position.
"The victims were foreign workers who were desperate to develop their skills to improve their employability in Singapore. By virtue of their desperation, they were vulnerable to exploitation," Menon said as quoted by The Straits Times.
Menon added that the workers were more vulnerable because of their migrant status, noting they may not have been in Singapore when the offence came to light.
"This factor warrants general deterrence, so that vulnerable foreign workers are protected from bad actors."
