May 06, 2007
HIS are the gentle hands that carried the bodies of dead children
and babies.
But now, those same hands have been smeared by the theft of $30
from a dead man.
Leman Osman (above), 53, who works with Tong Aik Undertaker - the
only police contractor for the removal of dead bodies - is a
familiar face at scenes of murders, suicides and accidents.
Photographed many times in the media, his task is to remove the
dead bodies or to clear the remains after police work is
done.
But yesterday in court, Leman, clad in the Tong Aik top he is often
seen in, pleaded guilty to stealing money from a dead man on
Thursday morning. District Judge Liew Thiam Leng sentenced him to
three months' jail.
UNCLEAR
On Thursday at around 3.30am, Leman and another colleague were
tasked to go to a flat in Block 602, Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5, to remove
the body of a 43-year-old man. It's unclear what the cause of death
was.
Police officers had already made a record of the dead man's
personal belongings. The body was in the bedroom where Leman
spotted a wallet belonging to the dead man.
He removed $30 from the wallet and kept it.
Leman then left the flat with his colleague, carrying the body back
to the van.
Police later discovered that the money was missing from the wallet.
Leman later admitted to the offence.
Police prosecutor Inspector Leow Teck Wee told the court that Leman
also had several previous convictions, which included fraudulent
possession of stolen goods and drug-consumption.
Mr Roland Tay, the boss of Tong Aik, told The New Paper: 'I don't
know what to say. I'm not angry with him but I'm really sad that
this has happened.'