Singapore charges two former BSI bankers

SINGAPORE: Singapore police charged two former BSI bankers yesterday amid an investigation tied to the scandal-hit Malaysian state fund 1MDB that prompted the Singapore central bank to order the local unit of the Swiss private bank to shut down.

Yak Yew Chee, who was a senior vicepresident at BSI Singapore and handled BSI’s relationship with 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB), was charged with forgery and failure to disclose suspicious transactions.

The Commercial Affairs Department of Singapore police filed similar charges against Yvonne Seah, a former director at the bank. Both have been released on bail and their passports have been withheld.

Reuters was unable to reach either for comment.

One of Yak’s clients was Malaysian financier Low Taek Jho, known as Jho Low, whose assets have been seized by Singaporean authorities as part of the investigation.

Court documents said Yak “fraudulently” signed letters addressed to BNP Paribas Switzerland, Kendris Ltd and Rothschild Trust AG Switzerland vetting Jho Low as a client at both BSI’s branches in Singapore and in Switzerland.

The documents said Yak had reasonable grounds to suspect that US$110 million (RM456.7 million) transferred by Jho Low “directly represented proceeds of an act that may constitute criminal conduct” and failed to disclose this suspicion to authorities. – Reuters