Tussle over widow's $40m assets: Ex-guide's parents named as parties to suit

SINGAPORE - The parents of former China tour guide Yang Yin could be made defendants in a civil suit alleging that he manipulated a wealthy 87-year-old widow into handing control of her assets to him, The Straits Times reported.

His parents, Mr Yang Sannan, 71, and Madam He Xianglan, 67, are retirees who live in Zhejiang, China. An application has been filed to include them as parties to the suit, the lawyer for Madam Hedy Mok, the widow's niece, revealed yesterday.

Last month, the High Court approved an application to add Yang's 34-year-old wife, Madam Weng Yandan, as a defendant.

In addition, The Straits Times reported that a Singaporean woman who paid $15,000 to bail him out has also been named as a party to the suit. Ms Ong Gek Lie bailed out Yang after his arrest in September. She is understood to have previously worked as a tour guide.

Yang has been accused by Madam Mok of manipulating Madam Chung Khin Chun into making himself her guardian for his personal gain. Madam Mok is suing the 40-year-old Yang for abusing his responsibilities under the Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA).

The latest development comes after a successful application by Madam Chung to revoke the LPA she gave Yang in 2012.

This means he will no longer have any say over her welfare and finances.

On Monday, the Family Court in Singapore deemed her mentally capable of changing her mind over who should look after her welfare and assets and ruled that Madam Chung can cancel Yang's LPA over her assets.

Earlier this month, the High Court issued an order to freeze the local assets of Yang's wife so that they cannot be transferred out of Singapore.

However, she left Singapore in September and it is unclear whether she even has any assets in Singapore.

Her husband's assets in Singapore and overseas have been frozen by a separate Mareva injunction since August.

The wealthy widow, whose husband died in 2007, has no children and was diagnosed with dementia earlier this year. She made a will in 2010 leaving all her assets to Mr Yang after he moved into her bungalow in 2009.

In 2012, she appointed him her guardian, giving him full control of her assets.

It is not known how much Madam Mok, a tour agency owner, is seeking from the parties.

yamadak@sph.com.sg