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Ex-BSI Banker Trial: Yeo Jiawei ‘Lived Jet-Setting Lifestyle, Became More Arrogant’

Former BSI banker Yeo Jiawei enjoyed a jet-setting lifestyle on super yachts and at luxury resorts after he left to work for controversial Malaysian tycoon Jho Low, a court heard yesterday.

An employee of financial firm Amicorp Group testified that Yeo – a key figure in an alleged money laundering operation linked to scandal-hit 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) – became a “consultant and adviser” to Mr Low and Mohamed Ahmed Badawy Al-Husseiny.

Al-Husseiny is a former high-level official of Abu Dhabi state fund International Petroleum Investment Co (IPIC).

Amicorp relationship manager Jose Renato Carvalho Pinto told the court Yeo’s relationship with Mr Low was so close that he travelled on his private jet and accompanied him on his luxury yacht Equanimity on a business trip to the Caribbean.

Yeo stayed at five-star beach-front resort Sandy Lane, one of the most luxurious hotels in Barbados, Mr Carvalho testified.

He also claimed Yeo arranged for Amicorp to pay invoices totalling US$1.36 million (S$1.9 million) for 27 tickets for Mr Low, Al-Husseiny and several other celebrities to the Manny Pacquiao boxing match at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The cheapest seat was US$30,000, while the most expensive was US$75,000, Mr Carvalho said.

He added Yeo also asked Amicorp to top up the Las Vegas casino membership cards of Mr Low and his close associate, Mr Eric Tan Kim Loong, by at least US$1 million each.

Mr Carvalho further testified that Yeo became “more arrogant and abrasive”, dismissively calling some associates, including Mr Samuel Goh Sze Wei, Mr Kelvin Ang and 1MDB chief financial officer Terence Geh, “working level” people.

Yeo faces four counts of obstructing justice by allegedly urging witnesses to lie to police and destroy evidence while out on bail after being arrested on March 17 in connection with money laundering.

Al-Husseiny, who is being investigated over offences under the Swiss Criminal Code, was chief executive of IPIC unit Aabar Investments and a former chairman of Falcon Bank, whose licence was withdrawn by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) last month.

One reason for Falcon’s shutdown was because its head office failed to guard against conflicts of interest when managing accounts of a customer linked with Al-Husseiny. The MAS said he misled Falcon’s Singapore branch into processing the customer’s “unusually large transactions” despite multiple red flags.

Mr Carvalho, who was testifying on the fifth day of the trial, said Amicorp was asked by Yeo to set up trusts and also to open bank accounts for several entities as well as for Mr Low and family members.

IPIC has denied ownership of Aabar BVI, to which 1MDB said it sent US$3.5 billion.

Yeo allegedly told Mr Carvalho that after leaving BSI, he would work as consultant to Aabar and Al- Husseiny and “collect a 5 per cent fee on every invoice to Aabar”.

Mr Carvalho also said Yeo claimed that he would be working for sovereign wealth funds that were part of a “highly confidential government-to-government arrangement involving Saudi Arabia and Malaysia”. Mr Carvalho learnt that these were 1MDB and SRC International, which was set up by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s government.

“I thought Amicorp was cheated by Yeo because he created the story of a ‘g-to-g’ arrangement between countries so he can collect referral fees,” Mr Carvalho said.

Mr Samuel Goh, the former head of agency distribution at NTUC Income, testified yesterday that he received more than US$4 million for his role as Yeo’s partner in alleged kickback deals linked to 1MDB.

Source: The Straits Times

November 8, 2016
Kelongsong Besi Didakwa Peluru, Ibu Marah Polis Cuba Soal Siasat Anak Berusia 7 Tahun

Ibu kepada seorang murid Muslim menuduh kakitangan di sekolah anaknya itu ‘bersikap diskriminasi’ setelah para guru tersalah sangka dan menganggap kelongsong besi yang dibawa masuk ke dalam bilik darjah adalah peluru lalu menelefon polis.

Pelajar berkenaan, yang berusia tujuh tahun, mendakwa kelongsong besi tersebut adalah “peluru” dan memberitahu para guru bahawa abang beliau, yang menyertai kursus kadet tentera, pernah memegang senjata, lapor laman Daily Mail.

Oleh sebab itu, kakitangan di Sekolah Rendah Katolik St Edward, Birmingham memaklumkan kepada Polis West Midlands dan para pegawai dikerahkan ke rumah pelajar tersebut.

Ibu pelajar itu, yang tidak didedahkan namanya tetapi merupakan seorang ahli akademik di Universiti West Midlands berkata, beliau mendapat tahu tentang keadaan tersebut setelah pegawai polis tiba di rumahnya dan mula bertanya soalan tentang anaknya.

RESPONS MUNGKIN BERBEZA “JIKA ANAK BERKULIT PUTIH”

Beliau memberitahu Sunday Times, kehadiran polis di rumahnya “menakutkan” dan beliau percaya respons kakitangan di sekolah itu mungkin berbeza “jika anak beliau berkulit putih”.

Beliau menambah: “Saya tidak rasa sekolah tersebut akan memperbesarkannya jika kami bukan Muslim. Ia seolah-olah kami perlu membuktikan bahawa kami tidak bersalah, berbanding mereka membuktikan yang mereka mempunyai asas yang kukuh untuk menyoal kami atau membuktikan kami bersalah.”

Ibu pelajar itu enggan membenarkan polis menyoal anaknya tetapi kelongsong besi tersebut diperiksa dan tiada tindakan lanjut diambil.

Beliau memberitahu Tell Mama, iaitu sebuah pertubuhan yang menyokong mangsa anti-Muslim, insiden itu “mengarut” dan tindakan mereka seperti tidak menggunakan akal.

Beliau juga menambah: “Sekolah itu dan polis bersikap menindas dan tanpa sebab yang munasabah mencurigai budak berusia tujuh tahun; mereka membuatkan anak saya tertekan dan ini sebenarnya boleh dielakkan.”

SEMUA PELAJAR DILAYAN SAMA RATA

Menyusuli insiden tersebut, Pengetua St Edwards Joanne Kennett memberitahu Sunday Times: “Kami sudahpun meminta maaf kepada ibu kanak-kanak berkenaan kerana menyebabkan mereka sekeluarga berasa tertekan.”

“Kami juga menjelaskan duduk perkara sebenar, kerana pelajar tersebut menyebut tentang senapang, maka kami bertanggungjawab merujuk insiden itu kepada pihak berkuasa,” tambah Cik Kennett.

“Sebagai sebuah sekolah Katolik, semua pelajar dilayan dengan sama rata dan kami berbangga kerana mempunyai para pelajar dan kakitangan dari latar belakang yang pelbagai.”

“Sebelum ini pernah berlaku insiden yang serupa daripada pelajar yang bukan Muslim dan tindakan yang sama diambil,” ujar Cik Kennett.

Polis West Midlands menyatakan, para pegawai dikerahkan ke sekolah tersebut dan ke rumah pelajar lelaki berkenaan setelah menerima aduan “seorang pelajar membawa peluru ke kelas”.

Menurut seorang jurucakap: “Alat itu diperiksa dan didapati bukan peluru dan tiada tindakan lanjut diambil.”

Ketua Detektif Inspektor Nick Dale berkata: “Para pegawai akan sentiasa menjalankan siasatan yang teliti terhadap sebarang aduan tentang pemilikan senjata api dan peluru secara haram di kalangan masyarakat.”

Source: Berita MediaCorp

November 8, 2016
Countries Like Singapore Stealing US Jobs: Trump

Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump claims that countries such as Singapore, China, India and Mexico are stealing jobs from Americans, and vowed to stop the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

“America has lost 70,000 factories since China entered the World Trade Organisation, another Bill and Hillary-backed disaster,” he told supporters in Florida, reported the Press Trust of India. “We are living through the greatest jobs theft in the history of the world. There’s never been a country that’s lost jobs like we do, so stupidly, so easy to solve.”

Mr Trump said Goodrich Lighting Systems laid off 255 workers and moved jobs to India, while Baxter Health Care Corporation laid off 199 workers and moved its jobs to Singapore. “It’s getting worse and worse and worse,” he said.

A Trump administration, he said, would impose a 35 per cent tax on any US company that wants to fire its workers and move to another country, and then shift its product back into the United States.

He also said he would immediately stop the “job-killing” TPP, calling it another disaster in the making.

Source: The Straits Times

November 8, 2016
Hasil Bantuan Netizen, Bayi Didodoikan Lagu Nyanyian Mendiang Ibunya

Bayi bernama J.J. ini tidak akan pernah dapat bertemu dengan ibunya, kerana wanita itu meninggal dunia sebaik sahaja dia dilahirkan.

Namun kini, bayi itu dapat didodoikan dan membesar dengan lagu-lagu nyanyian mendiang ibunya.

Ini setelah para netizen di Internet membantu bapa bayi itu, Encik Jared Buhanan-Decker, menukar format lagu-lagu yang dinyanyikan dan dirakamkan isterinya semasa hayatnya, agar ia dapat dimainkan semula, lapor CNN.

Lebih istimewa lagi, salah satunya ialah lagu dodoi yang ditulis mendiang Cik Sharry Buhanan-Decker khas untuk anak mereka yang ketika itu masih dalam kandungan.

Menurut CNN, Cik Sharry meninggal dunia empat bulan lalu setelah melahirkan J.J. menerusi pembedahan Caesarean, akibat embolisme cecair amnion yang berlaku apabila cecair di sekitar janin memasuki saluran darah si ibu.

Cik Sharry Buhanan-Decker. (Gambar: LoveSharred.com)

Suami mendiang, Encik Buhanan-Decker, kemudian secara kebetulan menemui enam rakaman lagu nyanyian Cik Sharry yang ditulis sendiri oleh mendiang, termasuk lagu dodoi untuk anak lelaki mereka.

Malangnya, Encik Buhanan-Decker tidak dapat menukar format lagu-lagu itu untuk memainkannya semula, lapor CNN yang menukil KUTV.

Oleh kerana terdesak dan ingin sekali mendengar semula suara nyanyian isteri tercinta, beliau ke laman Reddit dan meminta bantuan para netizen di sana.

Dalam beberapa jam sahaja, menurut CNN, puluhan orang menawarkan bantuan mereka, dan akhirnya, Encik Buhanan-Decker dapat sekali lagi mendengar nyanyian mendiang isterinya.

Lebih menyayat hati, lirik lagu itu seolah-olah merupakan mesej wanita itu kepada suami dan anak mereka.

Ia berbunyi “Baby, jangan risau/Saya okey, saya baik-baik sahaja,” kata Encik Buhanan-Decker, yang menulis tentang kehidupannya bersama J.J. setelah kematian isterinya di sebuah blog, Love Sharred.

“Saya rasa (lagu-lagu) itu sedikit sebanyak memberi kesan kepadanya (bayinya), mendengar suara ibunya,” katanya kepada KUTV.

Source: Berita MediaCorp

November 8, 2016
Nepali Teenage Girl Selling Vegetables Is New Online Darling

You might have heard about how a handsome blue-eyed Pakistani tea-seller, Mr Arshad Khan, became an overnight star on social media after his photo was posted on Instagram.

Now, a vegetable seller from Nepal, Ms Kusum Shrestha, is the latest hawker to make waves online with her good looks, BBC reported.

The 18-year-old was photographed carrying vegetables at a local market and the photos drew attention online when they were uploaded.

The hashtags #Tarkariwali and #Sabjiwali – which both mean “vegetable seller” – quickly started trending on social media as users praised her looks.

In one picture, the teenager is seen smiling as she carries crates of tomatoes across a bridge. In another one, she is captured talking on a mobile phone while selling vegetables at a market.

Ms Shrestha is from a farming family based in Bagling, Gorkha, which is about 90km west of capital Kathmandu.

She told BBC Nepali she is a student in the nearby district of Chitwan, and was helping her parents during the college holidays when the shots were taken.

One of the photos which catapulted Ms Shrestha to fame. PHOTO: FACEBOOK

Photographer RupChandra Maharjan told Nepalese blog Gundruk Post that he photographed Ms Shrestha at the Fishling suspension bridge between Gorkha and Chitwan. He reportedly works for a rafting company on the local Trishuli River.

Ms Shrestha told the BBC she found out about her viral pictures from a friend.

“First my friend asked me if I am the same girl whose photos became viral on Facebook. But I didn’t know,” Ms Shrestha said.

“Then she sent me the pictures and when I saw them, I found it was me. On that day, I came to sell the vegetables to help my parents. When I was on my way to sell the vegetables, RupChandra (the photographer) took my picture – but at that point of time, I didn’t know that I was being photographed.”

Many users on Twitter and Facebook admired the teenager’s work ethic. One of them, @SabyasachiPuhan, said she combined “cuteness and hard work”.

One fan even suggested that Mr Khan, the Pakistani tea-seller and Ms Shrestha would make an ideal couple.

Ms Shrestha told the BBC she was thrilled with her newfound fame. When asked if she would like to take up modelling like Mr Khan if an opportunity arises, she beamed and said: “Yes, I will go.”

Her father Narayan Shrestha, 43, told Nepalese news website myrepublica.com: “I hear that her photos have become popular on the Internet. Who had imagined that she would get such publicity? My daughter has always been a shy girl; she is a girl of very few words.”

Mr Shrestha said his daughter is studying management. However, her dream is to be a nurse.

“She is my only child. I should educate her to the extent possible (sic),” he said. “But I also have to consider my financial situation. I could not admit her into a nursing college though she wanted to study nursing.”

He said the interest in his daughter showed that the public respects farmers and their hard work.

“This is what I feel. There is nothing else that I expect,” he added.

Source: The Straits Times

November 8, 2016