Former jewellery supervisor jailed 16 months over RM176,200 gold theft

KUALA LUMPUR: A 33-year-old former jewellery store supervisor, Koh Mun Hoe, has been sentenced to 16 months in jail and three strokes of the rotan for stealing gold bars from his employer's vault. Koh admitted to taking three gold bars worth RM176,200 from the vault on three separate occasions in June and later pawned them, investing the proceeds in cryptocurrency, which resulted in significant losses.

CCTV footage captured Koh taking the missing gold bars on June 4, 6, and 8 from the shopping mall premises in Cheras without authorization. He attempted to justify his actions, citing recent divorce, the support of his children and elderly parents, and a lack of investment knowledge. The court imposed the sentence based on Koh's guilty plea to three charges of criminal breach of trust under Section 408 of the Penal Code, which carries a prison term between one and 14 years, whipping, and a fine.

Koh faces a fourth CBT charge, related to the theft of an 80-gramme gold chain worth RM57,840.82, which he allegedly pawned on June 12. His sentencing is set for September 22.