A 27-year-old man, Mohamed Basheer Hanif Mohamed, was sentenced to 12 weeks in jail on 26 December 2023 after pleading guilty to dishonest misappropriation. This decision comes after Basheer refused to return over S$9,000 that was mistakenly transferred to him by Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
On 10 November 2023, Basheer noticed a transfer of S$9,087.04 in his POSB bank account, which had previously been empty. Instead of alerting the bank or the university, he began withdrawing funds for personal use, indulging in a hotel staycation and covering daily expenses.
Attempts to Contact Basheer
- NTU’s finance officer and POSB made several attempts to reach Basheer, all of which were unsuccessful.
- On 21 November, the finance officer emailed him about the erroneous transfer. Basheer replied, claiming ignorance of the funds, and refused to provide updated contact information.
- He instructed the finance officer to cease all attempts to contact him.
Court Proceedings
During the court hearing, Basheer, appearing via video link and without legal representation, stated that he had been remanded since October due to his inability to post bail. He mentioned he lived in a rental flat with his wife and they were experiencing financial difficulties.
Despite being a first-time offender, Basheer faced a maximum penalty of two years in jail, a fine, or both. He expressed remorse and reassured the judge that he would not reoffend.
Interestingly, when the court inquired about the presence of an NTU representative, a woman stepped forward, who later turned out to be Basheer’s wife, not an official from the university.