
Woman admits being part of trio that cheated retiree of over S$44,000 to lift 'curse'
One of them, 56-year-old Li Yulian, pleaded guilty to her involvement on Friday (Jul 18).
The Chinese national, whose two accomplices remain at large, attended court from her place of remand.
The court heard that the victim, a Singaporean whose name was redacted from court documents, was walking along Jellicoe Road in the Lavender area at about 8am on Nov 16, 2019.
She was approached by Li's alleged accomplice, Liang Guilian, who asked about a 90-year-old doctor who worked in the area.
The victim said she did not know.
Li then came forward and said she knew about the doctor. She also said she knew that the victim had three sons and a daughter.
The victim was surprised that Li knew this. Li then gained her trust and convinced her that she was cursed.
Li told the victim that the doctor would help her remove the curse if she brought as much money as possible with her.
Li also told the victim that the doctor only saw patients in pairs and offered to accompany her.
Believing Li, the victim returned home to retrieve S$8,000 in cash, gold jewellery and a bank passbook.
She then went to a bank branch at Boon Keng MRT, where she withdrew another S$36,000.
The pair then took a taxi back to Jellicoe Road, where they met Liang and the third alleged swindler, Zhu Mianfang.
Zhu claimed to be the granddaughter of the doctor. She told the victim that the doctor had already removed her curse and instructed the victim to place the valuables into a brown recycling bag.
She took the bag with valuables and handed the victim another bag. She told the victim to open it only at midnight and not to tell anyone about the doctor helping her with her curse.
The victim handed over the following valuables to Zhu - S$44,000 in cash, three gold bracelets, two gold rings, two pairs of gold earrings, a Rolex watch and a beaded bracelet worth S$350.
Li was paid S$1,000 for her involvement.
The victim went home and told her children about the doctor lifting her "curse". Her daughter opened the bag and found only plastic bags and drinks inside.
The police found that the three cheats had left Singapore for Malaysia via Tuas Checkpoint, and a police gazette was issued against them.
Li returned to Singapore via Changi Airport in May 2025 and was arrested. She has been in custody since, while Liang and Zhu remain at large.
None of the victim's valuables have been recovered.
Li indicated that she wanted to make compensation.
The prosecution is seeking 18 to 22 months' jail, pointing to the substantial amount cheated, the vulnerable victim and evasion of detection for more than five years.
Li will return to court for mitigation and sentencing in September.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


CNA
a minute ago
- CNA
Fine for cabby who shone laser at bus near Changi Airport, blurring driver's vision
SINGAPORE: A taxi driver shone a laser pointer towards a shuttle bus ferrying passengers between terminals at Changi Airport, blurring the bus driver's vision. Huzairi Hamzah, 51, was fined S$2,500 by a court on Monday (Jul 28) for one count of a rash act endangering the personal safety of others. The court heard that the bus driver, a 32-year-old Singaporean man, was plying his route on Aug 28, 2024. He was driving along Airport Boulevard at about 9.50pm that night with about 30 passengers on his bus. He signalled his intention to filter into the extreme left lane of Airport Boulevard at about 9.55pm. He saw a taxi, driven by the accused, along the extreme left lane, some distance behind the bus. The bus driver changed lanes to the extreme left lane. Huzairi then drove to the rear right side of the bus. As he followed the vehicle, Huzairi shone a laser pointer towards the right side of the bus for about two to three seconds. Closed-circuit television footage captured Huzairi shining the laser light at the bus. The laser beam struck the right mirror and reflected into the bus driver's eyes, causing him to experience blurry vision. As there were passengers on board the bus, the bus driver ignored Huzairi and continued driving towards Terminal 4. Huzairi left the area, and the bus driver later told his supervisors what happened and was advised to lodge a police report. No injuries were sustained in the incident. The prosecutor sought a fine of S$2,500, saying Huzairi had intentionally shone the light, knowing fully that there was a real risk that the laser beam may distract the victim. Huzairi almost qualified his plea, with his lawyer saying Huzairi had never intended to point the laser to shine into the bus driver's eye. He also said that Huzairi's position has always been that his action would not cause a risk to the driver. However, he later accepted the statement of facts and pleaded guilty.

Straits Times
2 hours ago
- Straits Times
SMRT reports unauthorised post on its X account, says investigation under way
Find out what's new on ST website and app. At 11.08pm on July 27, a photo of a woman in traditional attire was posted on SMRT's official X account, accompanied by the caption 'R'. SINGAPORE – SMRT has reported an unauthorised post to X that appeared on the train operator's official social media account late on July 27. At 1 1.08pm on July 27, a photo of a South Asian woman in traditional attire was posted on the account, accompanied by the caption 'R'. Checks by The Straits Times showed that the post remained online for about 10 minutes before it was removed. During that brief window, it garnered over 2,000 views and was reposted more than 20 times , a figure that is higher than the account's usual engagement rate. SMRT's official X account SMRT Corporation has over 471,000 followers. The page typically posts announcements and update s on disruptions to train services . In response to queries from ST, SMRT on July 28 sa id it was looking into the matter. 'We are aware of an unauthorised post that appeared on our official X account late Sunday night. We have reported the incident to X and are currently investigating this matter,' said Ms Margaret Teo , its group chief communications officer. The post sparked confusion online, with users of online platforms Reddit and HardwareZone sharing screenshots and speculating that SMRT's X account might have been hacked, or that a page administrator had accidentally posted a personal photo. Others questioned if the account had been spoofed. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Tanjong Katong sinkhole backfilled; road to be repaved after LTA tests Singapore MRT platform screen doors at 15 underground stations to undergo renewal Singapore 'Medium risk' of severe haze as higher agricultural prices drive deforestation: S'pore researchers Singapore Jail for former pre-school teacher who tripped toddler repeatedly, causing child to bleed from nose Singapore Police statements by doctor in fake vaccine case involving Iris Koh allowed in court: Judge Singapore Authorities say access to Changi intertidal areas unaffected by reclamation, in response to petition Singapore No change to SIA flights between S'pore and Cambodia, S'pore and Thailand, amid border dispute Singapore Not feasible for S'pore to avoid net‑zero; all options to cut energy emissions on table: Tan See Leng ST has sent further queries to SMRT.

CNA
2 hours ago
- CNA
Jail for preschool teacher who deliberately tripped toddler four times
SINGAPORE: A former preschool teacher who repeatedly tripped a toddler at a childcare centre was sentenced to nine months and two weeks' jail on Monday (Jul 28). Saiidah Kamarudin, 34, earlier pleaded guilty to one of two counts of ill-treating the girl, who suffered bruises to her face and bled from her nose. The other charge was taken into consideration for her sentencing. The victim and the childcare centre cannot be named to protect the girl's identity. Saiidah began working for the childcare centre in end-September 2023, but she submitted her resignation the following month. Her employment lasted until mid-November. On the day of the incident in November, Saiidah had taken the 20-month-old girl to the toilet slightly after noon to clean her up. As the girl stood before her, Saiidah, who was seated, swept her leg outwards to catch the toddler's foot, causing the girl to stumble. After this, Saiidah swept her leg inwards, causing the toddler to fall backwards onto the floor. The teacher then lifted the girl to her feet and cleaned her face with a tissue. As the two were headed out of the toilet area, Saiidah repeated the sweeping motion twice. The latter incident caught the toddler on both legs and caused her to fall on her face. Saiidah's actions were captured by a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV). The footage was played in court. SENTENCING ARGUMENTS The prosecution urged the court to sentence Saiidah to a jail term of between 15 and 16 months. Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheah Wenjie said the case represented a "disturbing breach of trust by a childcare professional who deliberately and repeatedly tripped a 20-month-old toddler in her care". "Such calculated violence against a defenceless toddler who was entrusted to the care of the accused strikes at the heart of public confidence in Singapore's early childhood sector," said Mr Cheah. The prosecution pointed out that the victim had bled from her nose and suffered bruises and swelling on her face. He also described the offence as "deliberate and calculated" in nature. "The accused had committed the offences in the private toilet area of the school premises, which was separated by a wall from the rest of the school, making detection particularly difficult. The victim, being unable to speak, could not inform anyone of the offences," Mr Cheah told the court. Saiidah's lawyer, Deepak Natverlal from Crown Juris Law, argued that a jail term was not warranted. He sought the maximum fine of S$8,000 (US$6,250), and for the court to order that she execute a bond of good behaviour for a period. Alternatively, Mr Natverlal argued for a jail term of no more than three months, and a fine of S$5,000. He said that Saiidah, a mother of two, started working at the childcare centre with a view to enrolling her children there. However, she found the curriculum unsuitable and tendered her resignation. Mr Natverlal laid out the circumstances behind Saiidah's resignation, saying these "showed that the accused felt that there were matters in the school that were not child-centric". He said Saiidah had attempted to highlight these matters to the management to ensure that the children's interests and welfare were not compromised. Instead, she felt "quietly aggrieved" when her words went unheeded. "The accused felt unwelcome at this place. The present staff had their own cliques. The accused felt like an outcast from the beginning ... she felt the staff did not take her seriously and made her feel that she was not good enough to do the lesson plans for the children, which, on the contrary, she was capable of doing as she had worked ... before as a pre-school teacher," said Mr Natverlal. The lawyer also cited a defective water heater, poor quality meals for the children, poor hygiene practices and extensive TV exposure as a few other problems she experienced while working at the childcare centre. His client also felt that there was a lack of welfare for teachers like her, who had two young children. Despite these challenges, Saiidah still "endeavoured to do her best" as a teacher, the defence lawyer said. "As a mother of two very young children, the accused feels aggrieved that her actions had led to the child being injured in the manner that she suffered. "The accused acknowledges that she could have behaved better and that it was a solitary incident wherein she had lost her sense of judgment," Mr Natverlal said, adding that Saiidah was remorseful.