AGC files appeal, says Yang Yin’s sentence does not reflect his ‘true criminality’
Yang Yin. Photo: Singapore Police.
SINGAPORE — The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has filed an appeal against the six-year jail sentence imposed on former China tour guide Yang Yin for two counts of criminal breach of trust, saying it does not “adequately reflect the true criminality of (his) conduct”.
In a media statement on Monday (Oct 3), the AGC, which had asked for 10 to 12 years’ jail for these offences, said the court did not give adequate consideration to the fact that Yang, 42, had come to Singapore for the objective of committing criminal acts.
Not only did Yang take advantage of a vulnerable elderly person, “he has also failed to disclose the full extent of his criminality, return any portion of the misappropriated monies, and he has not shown any remorse”, the AGC added.
“Having carefully reviewed the Principal District Judge’s written grounds of decision, the Public Prosecutor is of the view that the six-year imprisonment sentence imposed for the Criminal Breach of Trust offences is manifestly inadequate,” the statement read.
Yang was sentenced last Friday for misappropriating S$1.1 million of Madam Chung Khin Chun’s money.
Prosecutors said that Yang had spun lie after lie to “coat the audacity of his actions with a veneer of legitimacy” to cover up the criminal misappropriation.
However, Yang’s lawyer Irving Choh had asked for a sentence of not more than three years’ jail, saying that his client was not an “emotionally manipulative person” and that his offences were a “misguided attempt to lift a financial burden that was taking a toll on his family”.
Yang was also sentenced to 26 months’ jail for 120 other charges, which were mainly for falsifying receipts amounting to S$186,900 for his music and dance school to gain permanent residency in Singapore.
The other offences were related to immigration and cheating offences, as well as breaches of the Companies Act.
Both sentences will run consecutively, which means that Yang faces a total jail term of eight years and two months.
