Ex-UOB officer cheats English-illiterate man of more than $200,000
A United Overseas Bank relationship manager abused his English-illiterate client's trust and misappropriated more than $200,000 from the man.
Yap Bin Chun, who worked for the bank from 2009 to 2013, met Mr Ng Hock Seng, 68, in 2010. The court heard that Mr Ng cannot read, write or understand English.
Yap, a married man, also duped a woman from Hong Kong into thinking he was single and she became his girlfriend.
The court heard the Singaporean father of three later cheated Hong Konger Betty Pui Tai, 38, of more than HK$100,000 (S$17,000).
Yesterday, Yap, 38, pleaded guilty to four cheating charges and one count of forgery.
Mr Ng told Yap in 2011 he wanted to invest his savings. Yap, facing financial difficulties, hatched a plan to misappropriate Mr Ng's money.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Kenneth Chin said Yap asked Mr Ng to sign application forms for a UOB current account and a Visa debit card and did not tell Mr Ng what the forms were for.
Said the DPP: "Although Ng did not understand the forms, he signed as he was asked to."
The court heard Yap wrote his own address on the forms.
Monies linked to Mr Ng's investment were later credited to the current account. Between Oct 3 that year and March 20, 2012, Yap misappropriated more than $200,000 from the account by using the debit card.
Mr Ng lodged a police report in 2016. UOB paid him more than $200,000 as a settlement.
Yap eventually repaid the bank. DPP Chin said Yap got the money from Ms Pui. Their relationship ended after she discovered his true marital status.
Yap is expected to be sentenced on March 14.
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