Singapore – A 50-year-old man is accused of stealing vitamins from a Watsons outlet in Tampines mall. In his defence, the man said that the Watsons staff were hallucinating and that he would do no such thing.
Mr Maniram Kese Sunar faces one charge for theft and another for skipping bail after allegedly stealing two bottles of multivitamins from Watsons on June 15, 2020.
Mr Maniram appeared in court on Tuesday (April 13), addressing the judge while another case was ongoing. He said that he was late for his hearing because he had got lost, reported The Straits Times.
It was only after court officers told Mr Maniram to take his seat did he quiet down.
Mr Maniram is accused of taking two bottles of multivitamins, one for men and another for women, worth S$46 each. The man is also charged with failing to report for bail in July 2020.
However, when his case was heard in court, Mr Maniram denied the theft.
“The staff of Watsons are under a lot of stress. I think they were hallucinating. I don’t remember taking the items,” said Mr Maniram.
The man noted that he was a “true blue Singaporean” who spoke all of Singapore’s four languages. “I will not do something like that,” he added.
Mr Maniram also repeatedly requested for security camera footage from the scene to be played.
District Judge Kessler Soh noted that the man was not pleading guilty.
He is expected to return to court on April 21 to face trial and is currently out on bail for S$2,000.
The three key elements of theft, according to Singapore Legal Advice, are dishonest intention, moving moveable property out of the possession of any person and moving that property without that person’s consent.
Examples of theft include shop theft and theft of vehicles. It is a criminal offence in Singapore.
If found guilty, Mr Maniram could be imprisoned for up to three years, fined, or both./TISG
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