A MAN duped a woman of $10,000 by making her believe that he needed the money to bribe Indonesian authorities to bring in medicine, a district court heard.

Yap Hock Chai, 58, claimed that he was a physician when he was introduced to Madam Quek Seng Kiaw, then 55, in 2004,

After gaining her trust, she began to loan him small sums of $200 to $300 to pay his housing bills.

Sometime in June that year, he asked her for a $2,000 loan to start a medical hall. She gave him the money.

A week later, he asked her for another $5,000 which she also gave.

The court heard that in fact, he never intended to set up a medical hall nor import any medicine from Indonesia.

Madam Quek handed him $10,000 at a flat in Hougang after he lied that he was having difficulty bringing in medicine from Indonesia and needed to bribe the Indonesian authorities.

He promised to repay her with interest. He also promised her a bonus and make her a business partner if his sales were good.

No restitution was made.

On Wednesday, Yap was jailed a total of 33 months for cheating Madam Quek, as well as for stealing $12,000 worth of jewellery from his former landlady, Madam Tan Bong Chee, 72, at a flat in Hougang Avenue 3 in March 2004. Madam Tan has since died.

Yap, unemployed, wads arrested in Bain Street in May this year. He has previous convictions for cheating, harbouring and employing illegal immigrants.