SINGAPORE - Former China tour guide Yang Yin's bail order has been revoked, the High Court decided on Tuesday.
Yang had earlier been granted bail of $150,000 by District Judge Eddy Tham. The prosecution, however, applied to the High Court a day after to challenge Judge Tham's decision.
On Monday, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) reiterated why Yang should not be granted bail in court, arguing that the earlier decision by Judge Tham had disregarded the 40-year-old China national as a high flight risk, among other things.
Yang is in a legal tussle with the niece of wealthy widow Madam Chung Khin Chun over her estimated $40 million assets.
Explaining his decision on Tuesday, Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon said that it was "not appropriate, at this time, to grant bail to the accused", after taking into account all considerations.
Among others, he pointed out that Yang had not told the court that the sum of about $500,000 was transferred from Madam Chung's account to his father's account in China. This was only discovered when a separate affidavit had been submitted by an Investigation Officer.
In 2010, Yang had transferred half a million dollars to Madam Chung's account before it was later transferred to his father's account on the same day.
The accused also had "few, if any roots" in Singapore, said the Chief Justice who later added that the accused would have the means to live comfortably if he were to abscond.
The Chief Justice had earlier acknowledged that there would be "no water off a surety's back" if the source of bail money did not come from the bailer himself.
Addressing this, Yang's lawyer, Mr Wee Pan Lee, suggested that the order be modified such that the bailor put in an additional sum of money so there would be an incentive for him or her to ensure that Yang would not abscond. He added that it would have been "foolhardy" for Yang to cut his losses by absconding.
Yang faces 331 charges for falsification of receipts worth about $450,000 made to his company, Young Dance and Music Studio.
The prosecution had earlier urged the court to put the bail at $800,000, with four sureties.
The next mention of the case will be on Dec 4. Yang will be remanded in the meantime.
