SINGAPORE — Former tour guide Yang Yin’s attempt to liquidate two life insurance policies to pay for legal fees has been successfully blocked by Madam Hedy Mok, the niece of widow Madam Chung Khin Chun.

The decision by the Court of Appeal on Monday (Feb 29) overturns a High Court’s decision in April last year to allow Yang to tap the two life insurance policies, worth about S$98,000, for legal and personal expenses. Madam Mok had earlier filed the appeal.

Delivering the decision on Monday, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said that there has been “no satisfactory explanation” to prove that Yang has no other sources of funding apart from the two insurance policies. 

The court ruled that “nothing has been put forward” by Yang’s lawyer to explain the whereabouts of unaccounted money held by Yang. 

During the hearing, Madam Mok’s lawyer Peter Doraisamy showed that about S$5.1 million were deposited to Yang’s bank accounts from Madam Chung’s bank account from September 2009 to July 2014. 

He said that a total of S$4.5 million was withdrawn from Yang’s accounts from October 2009 to August 2014. Of this, about S$4 million remained unaccounted. 

Both Chief Justice Menon and Justice Chao Hick Tin repeatedly asked Yang’s lawyer, Joseph Liow, where the S$4 million went, but Mr Liow said he needed to take instructions from his client to be able to provide the information in court. 

The court had heard that money given to Yang by the widow was held in trust, contrary to Yang’s claims that it was a gift from her to him. This was from a fresh testimony by a former bank relationship manager who served them both in 2009. 

Yang met Madam Chung in China in 2008, and later moved to her bungalow in Singapore in 2009. He is accused of gaining control of her assets, estimated to be worth about S$40 million, before his powers were stripped by the court in 2014. 

Madam Mok, 62, who runs a tour agency, is suing Yang for misappropriating her 89-year-old widow aunt’s money.   

Yang also faces criminal charges for falsifying receipts at his firm and misappropriating S$1.1 million from the estate of Madam Chung. He is now in remand.  

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, Mr Liow said that he would speak to his client and update him on the progress of the court case.