By Elena Chong, Court Correspondent
A FORMER senior staff nurse who misappropriated a patient's $2,000 at the Institute of Mental Health was jailed for three months on Monday.
Mong Kok Peng, 34, had earlier admitted to criminal breach of trust of Mr Wong Boon Pow's cash at Ward 33A on Jan 8 last year (09).
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Khoo said Mong was helping Mr Wong, 53, who was suffering from a delusional disorder, to change into hospital attire that day when the latter showed him $2,000. He then kept the two pieces of $1,000 bills in a compartment in his belt.
Mong told the victim to hand over his belt and other belongings for safekeeping. Instead of registering the money, Mong decided to use the money to settle his personal matters first.
When Mr Wong kept asking Mong about his money and other properties. Mong told him that that the money had been registered and would be returned on his discharge.
While Mong was gambling in horses the next evening, his colleagues called him and said the victim wanted his money back. Mong, who has since paid back the money to the victim, could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
