Man in $40m court saga breaks silence

The China national embroiled in a tussle over the $40 million assets of 87-year-old widow Chung Khin Chun has broken his silence, saying that he will leave the matter to the courts.

Former tour guide Yang Yin, 40, in a text message to The Straits Times last night, said: "I have prepared my court affidavit, which I will make public in the next few days."

This is the first time Mr Yang has responded to media queries since the case came to light last week.

"I am not answering further questions, so as to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings. I have nothing more to say and I am leaving everything to the court and judge," he wrote. "My family and I are fine and we believe that the law is fair and just," said Mr Yang, a Singapore permanent resident.

Madam Hedy Mok, Madam Chung's niece, has accused him of taking advantage of the elderly widow to get his hands on her assets, including a $30 million bungalow in Gerald Crescent, off Yio Chu Kang Road.

Madam Chung, a retired physiotherapist, was diagnosed with dementia this year. She met Mr Yang while on holiday in Beijing in 2008, and he moved into Madam Chung's bungalow a year later.

Last month, Madam Mok applied for a court order to prevent him from transferring assets overseas. She also wants to revoke the Lasting Power of Attorney, which gives Mr Yang control over Madam Chung's assets, including her property.

Last week on Tuesday, Madam Mok turned up at the bungalow and evicted Mrs Yang, who has been living in the house for about a year with her two young children. Mr Yang was overseas then.

Meanwhile, Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Intan Azura Mokhtar said Mr Yang is a grassroots leader and one of several leaders in Ang Mo Kio GRC helping foreigners integrate into society.

But Dr Intan said she did not know Mr Yang personally and that he was one of the many grassroots leaders in her constituency. "He came to help out during grassroots events... but he doesn't hold a position," she said, speaking on the sidelines of the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ju Eng Home for seniors yesterday.

Photos of Dr Intan and Mr Yang were posted on several websites last week after The Straits Times first reported on Mr Yang's legal battle with Madam Mok. "The grassroots leaders... a lot of them are doing very good work but they don't get time in the media," she said. "But because of one incident, (they) get highlighted."

tohyc@sph.com.sg

kcarolyn@sph.com.sg

This article was first published on September 8, 2014.
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