Yang Yin saga: Prosecution seeks up to 3 years' jail for falsification of receipts, immigration offences

Yang Yin in a police car on Nov 5, 2014. The prosecution is seeking a two-and-a-half to three years’ imprisonment for the former tour guide for 120 charges relating mostly to the falsification of receipts. PHOTO: ST FILE

SINGAPORE - The prosecution has asked that former tour guide Yang Yin be given two-and-a-half to three years' imprisonment for 120 charges relating mostly to the falsification of receipts.

During his stay in Singapore from 2009 to 2014, the 42-year-old at the centre of a dispute over the assets of a wealthy widow, had made up company revenues and figures in order to get an Employment Pass before eventually getting his Singapore permanent residency in 2011.

"This is a foreign national who spent almost his entire five years in Singapore either offending or preparing to offend," Deputy Public Prosecutor Nicholas Tan said in his submissions on Wednesday (Sept 28).

"Although this epic tale is nearly at its conclusion, at this final chapter, we still see a lack of remorse, a lack of any genuine remorse on the part of the accused."

In May, the former China tour guide at the centre of a dispute over the assets of a wealthy widow pleaded guilty to 120 charges mostly of falsifying receipts made to his company.

Out of 120 charges, 110 were for the falsification of receipts made to his company. The remaining were for immigration and cheating offences, as well as breaking Companies Act laws. The rest of the 227 charges were taken into consideration.

Deputy Presiding Judge of the State Courts Jennifer Marie said that the sentencing for this set of charges will take place on Thursday (Sept 29).

The Chinese national, who moved in to stay with Madam Chung Khin Chun in 2009, had earlier claimed that he wanted to stay in Singapore because he desired to look after the 89-year-old but this was not borne out by investigations.

Yang's lawyer Mr Irving Choh asked for one to two years' imprisonment as the 42-year-old is the sole breadwinner of his family and is a first time offender.

Yang has also pleaded guilty to two criminal breach of trust charges over allegedly misappropriating $1.1 million from Madam Chung. The prosecution has asked for 10-12 years of imprisonment and the sentencing hearing is expected to take place on Friday (Sept 30).

Yang was arrested in September 2014 and charged a month later with a slew of offences, mostly falsifying receipts made to his company, Young Dance and Music Studio, so he can stay in Singapore.

He got to know the 89-year-old widow when he acted as her private tour guide during a trip to Beijing in 2008. In 2014, Madam Chung was diagnosed with dementia.

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