Yang Yin to plead guilty to charges of misappropriating S$1.1m from widow
Yang Yin. Photo: Facebook
SINGAPORE — In an unexpected twist, former China tour guide Yang Yin intends to plead guilty after claiming trial for two criminal breach of trust charges. Lawyer Irving Choh told the court on Friday (July 8) of his client’s intention, and Yang, 42, will return to court on July 27.
Yang is embroiled in a long-standing legal tussle over Madam Chung Khin Chun’s financial assets and is alleged to have misappropriated S$1.1 million from the 89-year-old widow between February 2010 and January 2012.
He had argued that the money was used to buy paintings for her, but the prosecution charged that Yang “increasingly took over control” of the widow’s finances over the next few years.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Tan said earlier at the start of the trial: “This is a tragic case of criminal opportunism involving a betrayal of trust and ultimately resulting in dishonest misappropriation.” At the centre of the dispute are six Chinese paintings that Madam Chung had entrusted Yang to buy on her behalf.
During the five days of hearing, the prosecution called an art expert, Madam Lim Sew Yong, who is chairman of Raffles Fine Art Auctioneers, to look into the paintings bought by Yang.
One of the paintings was titled “Horse Drinking Water”, which Yang claimed was done by renowned Chinese artist Xu Beihong and cost S$500,000.
The painting, which Yang folded multiple times and stuffed into an envelope, was found in his luggage during a police search, the court heard.
Testifying in court, Madam Lim said that it was an imitation based on two original works by the artist. If the painting was sold at a night market in China, it would be valued at about 1,000 yuan or S$200, she said.
Madam Lim also told the court that she knew the artist’s wife, who had told her that the original paintings were done on double-layered paper.
However, the painting that Yang had was not done on double-layered paper and appeared to be relatively new.
In 2006, Yang — who was a tour guide based in China — got to know Madam Chung at a travel fair. He continued to stay in contact with her through the years and moved into her bungalow on Gerald Crescent near Buangkok in February 2009. A month later, Yang set up a company known as Young Music and Dance studio to gain permanent residency here.
In May this year, he pleaded guilty to 120 charges, mainly for the falsification of receipts belonging to his music and dance school.
The forged receipts amounted to S$186,900. Another 227 charges will be taken into consideration during sentencing on July 11.
Yang also faces a civil suit launched by Madam Chung’s niece, Hedy Mok, who is seeking damages over the alleged abuse of his powers as her aunt’s guardian under the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) Scheme. The LPA has since been cancelled. The trial dates for this suit have not been fixed.
