Even high-achieving, acclaimed college professors can run afoul of the law, but nobody would have expected that one would commit such a petty crime like shoplifting (you know, given their generous salary).
A Nanyang Technological University (NTU) professor has been sentenced to 18 months’ mandatory treatment order for multiple counts of shoplifting, reports The Straits Times. Instead of jail time, 55-year-old Er Meng Joo will have to undergo psychiatric treatment for his condition, which has not been defined.
The professor in electrical and electronic engineering had admitted to shoplifting repeatedly from convenience stores at petrol stations he frequented, pilfering trivial items such as air fresheners, toiletries, a power bank and a micro USB cable. Between Jan 9 and 29 last year, he looted $454.35 worth of items from two NTUC Fairprice outlets at Esso petrol stations in Bukit Timah and Dunearn Road.
His shoplifting spree came to an end after a store manager reviewed CCTV footage and figured out that Er was a regular customer. His name and car registration details were reported to the police.
His conviction must have come to a surprise to NTU’s faculty and students, considering Er’s extensive body of work and multiple accolades. According to his NTU academic profile, the man has won multiple Teacher of the Year awards, as well as scored the Most Zealous Professor of the Year Award in 2009 and the Outstanding Mentor Award in 2014. His published papers have won awards too, and he also serves as the Editor-in-Chief of three international science journals.
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