wmlro.com: US Embassy clerk steals half a million dollars
35 year old Hasrinah Hassan has pleaded guilty before a court in Singapore to stealing almost half a million US dollars from her employer - the US Embassy.
Hasrinah says that the first time she stole was at the insistence of her then husband. But his demands became insistent - and then she started stealing for her own benefit.
She used the money to refit her flat, to fund an extravagant lifestyle and to live a high-life of partying and clubbing.
The method was simple: as cashier, she had access to the Embassy's books. She entered fees, then posted refunds. And kept the money.
The first time, prosecutors said, was in 2003. She paid for foreign holidays, car accessories and a variety of expensive items.
Amongst assets seized during the investigation were bags by Prada and Louis Vuitton and a quantity of cash.
In 2008 alone, prosecutors said, she stole more than USD137,000.
She has been jailed for six years.
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