A 32-year-old former cabin crew member and complex leader with Scoot has been sentenced to seven months’ imprisonment on Friday after pleading guilty to misappropriating approximately S$40,000 (RM132,000) from in-flight food and beverage sales. Luqman Hakim Shahfawi admitted to one count of criminal breach of trust as an employee, while a second similar charge was taken into consideration during the sentencing process. The court heard how the accused exploited his supervisory position to siphon cash over an extended period involving hundreds of separate flight transactions.
During the period of the offences, Luqman served as a complex leader, a role that required him to oversee other crew members and manage the collection of payments from onboard catering sales. According to the airline’s standard operating procedures, complex leaders are mandated to secure cash payments in designated bags and deposit them into a company safe within 48 hours of each flight’s conclusion. However, the accused failed to adhere to these protocols after losing two initial cash bags in 2023, choosing to conceal the loss rather than reporting it to his superiors.
Fearing that the initial discrepancy would be discovered, Luqman began intentionally withholding cash bags from subsequent flights. When he noticed that his supervisors did not immediately confront him regarding the missing deposits, he continued the illicit practice across a total of 366 occasions. Investigations revealed that between July 2023 and March 2024, he misappropriated S17,807.10(RM59,000),followedbyafurtherS22,053.10 (RM73,000) between April 2024 and March 2025. The total amount pocketed was used primarily to settle personal debts with unlicensed moneylenders.
The legal proceedings against Luqman commenced after Scoot Airlines lodged a formal police report on 20 March 2025, following his admission of the offences. He was apprehended by the authorities the following day. In court, the prosecution argued for a custodial sentence of between seven and seven-and-a-half months, noting the systematic nature of the theft. The judge took into account Luqman’s early plea of guilt and the fact that he has since made a partial restitution of S$11,000 (RM36,500) to his former employer.
In a statement following the sentencing, Scoot confirmed that Luqman is no longer employed by the airline and emphasised that internal processes have been significantly strengthened to prevent a recurrence of such financial misconduct. The airline reiterated that all staff members are expected to maintain the highest ethical standards and that any non-compliance would result in severe disciplinary action or criminal prosecution. Under Singaporean law, the maximum penalty for criminal breach of trust by an employee includes a fine and a jail term of up to 15 years.
