A CHINESE national gambled with $250 in casino chips that did
not belong to him while an Indian national stole $12,180 worth of
electrical cables meant for Marina Bay Sands so as to get some
money to bet with.
On Wednesday, the two construction workers pleaded guilty. Ni
Guo Jian, 45, was jailed nine weeks for criminal breach of trust.
Kakkayan Govindarasan, 26, was jailed seven months.
In both cases, it was closed-circuit television footage that led
to their arrests. A district court heard that the theft of the
cables on Feb 13, 2011 was discovered the next day. CCTV footage
from cameras installed in the basement where the storeroom was
located, showed two men wearing surgical masks taking the loot to a
van manned by two other accomplices. The registration plate number
was visible and the group was arrested within days.
Kakkayan's three accomplices - also construction workers from
India - were jailed seven months earlier. All had also admitted to
stealing $7,065 worth of cables on Jan 30. This charge was taken
into consideration by District Judge John Ng when passing sentence
on Wednesday.
The same court had earlier heard that Ni - who has been here for
nine years - had lost $400 at a dice table on March 22, 2011. He
had only $15 left and was waiting to place a bet when he noticed
that a woman did not realise that she had won and had walked
away.
Telling the croupier he would pass the winnings to its owner, Ni
collected the $250. However, CCTV footage showed him changing the
chips into cash and leaving the casino five minutes later, only to
return half an hour later, to gamble. Police were called and when
arrested, Ni had on him nine $5 chips and $205 in cash.
-- ST