Tussle over widow's fortune: 'Caregiver' flaunted lavish lifestyle online

Tussle over widow's fortune: 'Caregiver' flaunted lavish lifestyle online

SINGAPORE - Photographs showcasing the lifestyle of former tour guide Yang Yin and his family have surfaced online, amid his legal battle for the control of the assets of a wealthy 87-year-old widow.

The Chinese national and his wife, Madam Weng Yandan, uploaded photos of their holidays in Hong Kong and Japan, as well as a dinner at Jumbo Seafood restaurant on Dempsey Hill and a visit to Universal Studios, Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday.

The 40-year- old also talked about his wealth online. "Let my cash vault grow towards $50 million! Come on, money, I love you!" he wrote in his blog in September 2012.

This was two months after he had obtained a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) over the assets of Singaporean widow Chung Khin Chun.

Two years before, the woman, a retired physiotherapist, also changed her will to leave everything to Mr Yang. Her assets, believed to be worth $40 million, include a Gerald Crescent bungalow worth at least $30 million.

Madam Chung's niece, 60-year-old travel agency owner Hedy Mok, last month started court proceedings to revoke the LPA.

On his site, Mr Yang also wrote about his love for watches, branded goods and stays in luxury hotels. He uploaded photos of items such as a $14,000 Frank Muller watch he said he was planning to buy and a $600 Louis Vuitton leather belt that he was wearing.

The couple also wrote about their stays at Marina Bay Sands, Resorts World Sentosa and boutique hotel Klapsons in Hoe Chiang Road.

Lianhe Wanbao noted that of the hundreds of photographs uploaded by the couple, Madam Chung did not appear in a single one.

Mr Yang's assets have now been frozen under a Mareva injunction which prevents him from disposing any assets in Singapore and overseas. He also faces a probe by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority over his permanent residency.

The police are investigating a report by the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry after he falsely listed himself as a director of the organisation on his name card.

In an affidavit filed by Mr Yang, he said he moved into the Gerald Crescent bungalow in 2009 after the widow, who was diagnosed with dementia this year, urged him to take care of her as a "grandson".

He said they became close after he was hired as a personal tour guide for Madam Chung and a friend during a trip to China in 2008.


This article was first published on Sep 14, 2014.
Get a copy of The Straits Times or go to straitstimes.com for more stories.

[[nid:136723]]
This website is best viewed using the latest versions of web browsers.