Tussle over $40m assets: Court temporarily suspends former China tour guide's control of widow's assets

Former China tour guide Mr Yang Yin no longer has any control over the $40 million assets of a wealthy Singaporean widow after a court decided to issue a temporary suspension of his powers. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN 
Former China tour guide Mr Yang Yin no longer has any control over the $40 million assets of a wealthy Singaporean widow after a court decided to issue a temporary suspension of his powers. -- PHOTO: SHIN MIN 

SINGAPORE - Former China tour guide Mr Yang Yin no longer has any control over the $40 million assets of a wealthy Singaporean widow. A court on Friday decided to issue a temporary suspension of his powers under the Lasting Power of Attorney granted to him in 2012 by 87-year-old Chung Khin Chun.

The Office of the Public Guardian (OPG), which administers the LPA scheme, had been seeking to suspend both Mr Yang's powers under the LPA, and those of Madam Hedy Mok as Madam Chung's deputy. But the court decided to let Madam Mok, who is Madam Chung's niece, to continue in her role. She was however told to report legal matters concerning her aunt to the OPG, said Madam Mok's lawyer Peter Doraisamy after Friday's closed-door hearing.

The hearing to decide whether Madam Chung should undergo a medical assessment will take place within seven to 10 days. The OPG has asked for this assessment to ensure that Madam Chung has the capacity to revoke the LPA she had given Mr Yang, who have moved into her Gerald Crescent bungalow in 2009.

They met in 2008 when Mr Yang acted as Madam Ching's private tour guide on a holiday in Beijing. Last week, the OPG said it had lodged a police report against Mr Yang over concerns of possible financial abuse.

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