Adam Ilhan Mohamad Idhamsahbani was sentenced to 20 months and four weeks’ jail. - ST FILE
SINGAPORE: Over a year, a man cleared out the entire savings of S$280,000 of his grandmother, who was suffering from Parkinson’s disease and depended on him to access her online banking services.
When the 77-year-old woman asked him for help after realising her money was missing, he lied to her that she had been scammed and later repeated the lie to the police.
On April 9, Adam Ilhan Mohamad Idhamsahbani, 22, was sentenced to 20 months and four weeks’ jail, after pleading guilty to one charge for criminal breach of trust, and one count of providing false information to a public servant.
District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan had objected to Adam’s lawyer’s call for a probation suitability report, pointing out that the need for deterrence and retribution outweighed the need for rehabilitation in this case.
“In my mind, this is a very serious offence. It does not show you have committed this in a moment of folly. It does not show it was committed because of the immaturity of your mind. It was planned, deliberate,” said the judge.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Lim Li Ting said that Adam’s grandmother had sought his help whenever she needed to access her five bank accounts to make online purchases, bill payments, or donations.
She had relied on him as she had trouble remembering her password, and was not fully competent in English.
Investigations later revealed that between January and December 2023, Adam drained her five bank accounts of $280,000 entirely, and used the money on his personal expenses and to purchase a laptop, desktop, printer, and in-game purchases for online games he was addicted to.
Adam’s grandmother first noticed some of her money missing in August 2023. By December that year, there was nothing left in her accounts.
Adam convinced her that the money was lost to scammers, forging two letters purportedly from the police to support his lies.
He persisted with his lies even after his grandmother made a police report.
On Jan 17, 2024, he provided a statement at Ang Mo Kio Police Division, where he said he had made inquiries with the banks after his grandmother first noticed the money was missing in August 2023.
He then told the investigating officer that he received a call from a police officer from the Anti-Scam Command in October 2023, and that the money had been lost to scams.
He also claimed he met up with an officer from the Anti-Scam Command, and was given two letters by two unknown officers.
A day later, he confessed to his lies, after the police visited him to get a further statement. At some point, he admitted he was tempted to commit his crimes after seeing the money in his grandmother’s accounts.
DPP Lim said Adam had not shown contrition despite getting caught.
“In the defence’s mitigation, he was blaming her for entrusting him with the bank accounts that enabled him to drain her funds. That is a clear sign of a lack of remorse,” she said.
He has so far made restitution of $100,000.
For each count of criminal breach of trust, an offender can face up to 20 years’ jail and a fine.
If convicted of giving false information, an offender can be jailed for up to two years, fined, or both. - The Straits Times/ANN
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