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Jabba the Hutt
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May 11, 2011
Two foreign workers jailed for crimes at MBS
By Khushwant Singh
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. -- ST PHOTO: LIM SIN THAI
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.
