SINGAPORE - A technician who stole $32,700 worth of gym equipment from his employer was jailed for 10 months on Friday (Aug 5).

Suhaime Jamin, 48, was employed by AIBI International when he stole equipment from the company at Yishun Industrial Park A on 11 occasions last October. He is the third employee to be convicted and sentenced after admitting to four of 11 charges.

Two others - his 28-year-old nephew, former technician Muhammad Sairilpaezel Mohd Pungot, and Iskandar Kamsan, 29 - were given 12 months' jail and two weeks' jail respectively for their offences.

Investigation showed that Ermin Woon, 32, an ex-employee of AIBI, had placed advertisements of brand new AIBI machines on the Facebook page of his company, Home Fitness.

Concurrently, AIBI's marketing director was alerted by her staff of missing stocks in the warehouse.

On Oct 13, 19 and 27 last year, she was alerted that Suhaime and Sairil were implicated in the theft of new fitness machines.

Investigations showed that Sairil knew Woon three years earlier when the latter was working for AIBI.

Sometime in June last year , Woon asked Sairil if he had "anything" for him. He was referring to AIBI machines.

Subsequently, Sairil would look out for new AIBI machines in the warehouse to sell them to Woon.

He would bring the equipment out from the fourth floor of the warehouse and hide it behind a shutter on the first floor.

Both he and Suhaime would load the equipment into a company lorry, drive to Choa Chu Kang Road and sell them to Woon. Woon's case is pending.

When Suhaimi left the company in October, Sairil got Iskandar to help him steal, load and drive the company van to Old Choa Chu Kang Road.

Investigation showed that Woon would pay $100 to $340 for each equipment delivered to him. Suhaimi had spent his earnings of about $2,800.

Police recovered 11 equipment worth $17,703.

Suhaimi could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined on each charge.