Former tour guide Yang Yin, currently facing potentially more than 300 charges in relation to the case of 87 year-old multimillionaire widow, Mdm Chung Khin Chun, is currently claiming S$1.1m worth of Mdm’s Chung’s money as his, and is demanding access to an allowance of $12,000.
Mr Yang, 40, claims that the S$1.1m, currently residing in four of bank accounts, was a gift from Chung and belongs to him.
He also argued that Mdm Chung, who was suffering from dementia, did not have the mental capacity to change a will from one where she left him everything to one in which most of her wealth will go to charity.
Mr Yang had previously told the courts that he was merely holding on to the money, but now changed to claim it as he was “not proficient in English” when making his first statement.
In addition, Mr Yang is also asking for access to a monthly fee of S$12,000, which was meant to be for his personal and legal expenses.
In August 2014, the High Court ordered a freeze on Yang’s assets, with the exception of the monthly allowance.
However, Mr Yang’s lawyer, Joseph Liow, told media before a pre-trial conference yesterday that his client could not withdraw the money from his bank accounts.
Mr Yang had sent letters to the lawyers of Mdm Hedy Mok askign to withdraw the fund. Mdm Mok is Mdm Chung’s niece, who had sued Mr Yang for damages and alleged breach of duties under the Lasting Power of Attorney granted earlier to him by Mdm Chung.
However, Mdm Mok’s lawyers told him that he is not allowed to make the withdrawals.
“They have not honoured it,” said Mr Liow to media, adding that a court application was filed on Monday for the freeze of funds to be lifted or for Mr Yang to be granted access to his allowance.
Mr Yang claimed that his current expenses are paid of by loans from family and friends in China and that these funds have been exhausted.
