Former religious teacher charged with misappropriating nearly S$60,000 from students, pilgrims

SINGAPORE: A former religious teacher who allegedly misappropriated close to S$60,000 from students as well as people who bought pilgrimage tour packages was charged on Wednesday (Apr 6) for various offences.

Rasman Saridin is accused of misappropriating S$27,900 from five students between 2014 and 2017. They had asked him for help to enrol in a PhD course in Islamic studies at a foreign university, the police said in a news release.

In 2019, Rasman also allegedly misappropriated more than S$32,000 from people who had paid for pilgrimage tour packages.

“He also allegedly forged an air ticket booking between Singapore and Jeddah (Saudi Arabia),” police said.

Rasman is also accused of travelling out of Singapore on multiple occasions between June 2018 and November 2019 as an undischarged bankrupt, without getting permission from an Official Assignee which administers the affairs of a bankrupt.

The police also said that Rasman is accused of managing a company as an undischarged bankrupt.

He faces seven counts of criminal breach of trust, one count of forgery for the purpose of cheating, one count of managing a company as an undischarged bankrupt and two counts of travelling out of Singapore without the Official Assignee’s permission.

The offence of criminal breach of trust carries a prison term of up to seven years, a fine or both.

Those convicted of forgery for the purpose of cheating face up to 10 years in prison and a fine.

The offences of breaching bankruptcy restrictions each carries a fine of up to S$10,000, a jail term of up to two years, or both.