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2 SCDF NSFs emptied colleague’s bank account via online transfer after one of them took his phone

2023-09-24 00:00:00.0 海峡时报-新加坡原网页

SINGAPORE – Two full-time national servicemen (NSFs) with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) emptied their colleague’s bank account by making an online transfer of $690 after one of them stole the victim’s mobile phone.

On Tuesday, Nizar Syafiq Ismadi, 21, who completed his national service in February, pleaded guilty to multiple charges including weapon possession and an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

His accomplice, Mohamed Iskandar Mohamed Ansari, then 23, who was a corporal at the time of his offences, was sentenced to three months and five weeks’ jail in February.

He had pleaded guilty to one count each of theft and an offence under the Computer Misuse Act.

At the time of the offences, Nizar, Iskandar and their colleague Leon Tay, 23, were serving at the 3rd SCDF Division in Yishun as security administration personnel. Nizar and Mr Tay, who has also completed his national service, were then lance corporals.

Some time before August 2022, Nizar and Iskandar planned to “do something big” to Mr Tay.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Tung Shou Pin said: “Nizar understood this as making Leon’s life miserable by taking his phone.”

Court documents did not disclose the reasons behind the plan.

At around 7.30am on Aug 1, 2022, Iskandar and Mr Tay began their 24-hour duty shift at the regimental sergeant major’s office at the division.

Mr Tay was about to leave the office at around 9am to man the guardroom, where he was not supposed to use his mobile phone, when Iskandar told him to leave the device behind.

Mr Tay complied. After he left, Iskandar took the phone, which was worth $1,149.

Later that day, Iskandar and Nizar sold Mr Tay’s mobile phone to a second-hand store for $600 and Nizar retained its SIM card, said DPP Tung.

On Aug 5, 2022, Iskandar offered to “help” Mr Tay by using the Find My Phone app installed on his own phone to trace the stolen device.

In earlier proceedings, DPP Tung told the court: “(Iskandar) had the victim log in to his Gmail account on the accused’s phone. However, the accused selected ‘show password’, revealing the victim’s login details. The accused sent the victim away.”

Meanwhile, Nizar downloaded a POSB banking app onto his own phone and inserted Mr Tay’s SIM card into the device.