SINGAPORE - The wife of prominent mainland Chinese actor-director Zhao Benshan has successfully sued a car dealer and her former assistant to get back $395,000 over the sale of her Porsche Cayenne.

Madam Ma Lijuan, 49, who is based in Singapore as her two children study here, had asked her assistant Florence Lim Meiling to help her sell the car in September 2012.

Ms Lim told her that the car could be sold for $415,000 through her friend's car dealership, Primelink Motoring, which is solely owned by Mr Douglas Boon Ken Li.

But Madam Ma only received $20,000 in October 2012. Despite repeated queries, Ms Lim could not cough up the remaining $395,000.

Madam Ma sued both Mr Boon and Ms Lim for conspiracy to defraud. Her lawyer, Mr Wendell Wong, said she was a victim of a "wheels for cash" scam. She has also made a police report and investigations are pending, he told the court yesterday.

Madam Ma won default judgment against Ms Lim in August this year after the ex-assistant decided not to defend herself against the lawsuit.

A three-day trial to hear Madam Ma's case against the car dealer was scheduled to start on Wednesday, but Mr Boon did not show up in court.

High Court judge Choo Han Teck ruled in favour of Madam Ma after hearing her testimony as well as that of her witness, local singer-actress Chen Meixin, who is known as Mr Zhao's protege.