Singapore banker detained in China
Miss Eden Wu Yidian and her American fiance, Mr Jason David Tan, who are engaged and had planned to get married in Singapore on Mar 24.
AsiaOne
Saturday, Mar 17, 2012
A Singaporean banker working in Shanghai as a relationship manager for Standard Chartered Bank's private banking business has been detained in China.
Ms Eden Wu Yidian, 31, has been held in a Wuxi jail near Shanghai since March 6 for allegedly harbouring a client who is on the run after embezzling US$50 million (S$63.4 million), according to news reports quoting her fiance.
Ms Wu was due to return to Singapore to get married on March 24, said The New Paper.
Although she has not been charged with any crime, Chinese police are investigating a client of hers who allegedly fled the country after embezzling money from the state-owned Agricultural Bank of China.
The client was an employee of the bank's branch in Jiangyin, a city in Jiangsu province near Shanghai, reported The Financial Times.
According to The Straits Times, Ms Wu came to Singapore 10 years ago after graduating from a university in China. She is said to be fluent in English, Mandarin, Hokkien and Japanese.
She started working in the banking sector after passing an accountancy exam. Ms Wu eventually took up Singaporean citizenship and is engaged to business consultant Mr Jason Tan, a 34-year-old Chinese-American living in Shanghai.
Mr Tan told Lianhe Wanbao that he had not been able to see his fiance for nine days but was allowed to speak to her on the phone. The last time he spoke to her was on Thursday.
He added that he and his parents are worried for her and she had pleaded for help.
Since January, Ms Wu had been summoned by Chinese police for questioning five times, said Mr Tan.
Ms Wu did not think anything of it initially and had told the police that she had to return to Singapore by March 8. However, she was detained when she visited the police station with her fiance.
Mr Tan told New York Times: "After I had waited outside the police station for about an hour, the police told me she was being detained."
The police also handed her diamond engagement ring, watch and necklace to him, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Mr Tan said he had accompanied her at least twice on her earlier visits to the police station and even witnessed her putting her thumbprint on some documents.
He was not allowed to sit in when she was questioned but she had told him of the sessions, said Mr Tan.
He also told Lianhe Wanbao that Ms Wu had not taken any money and was not aiding or harbouring anyone involved in the case.
Mr Tan said that since she started working in the private banking division in Shanghai nine months ago, Ms Wu had had the opportunity to mingle with some of the wealthiest people in China.
The Straits Times said that a Standard Chartered spokesman confirmed that Ms Wu was the bank's employee and said it was providing support by liaising with her family and legal representative.
The Standard Chartered spokesman also told The New Paper: "We are unable to comment on Eden's detention as this is part of an ongoing investigation by the police, but we can confirm that Standard Chartered is not being investigated."
Mr Tan said that the stress, anxiety and sleepless nights had caused him to lose 6kg since he last saw her.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Singapore Consulate-General in Shanghai is aware of the case, which is currently under investigation.
It said it will render all necessary consular assistance, including paying visits to Ms Wu, said The Straits Times.
[email][email protected][/EMAIL]
Miss Eden Wu Yidian and her American fiance, Mr Jason David Tan, who are engaged and had planned to get married in Singapore on Mar 24.
AsiaOne
Saturday, Mar 17, 2012
A Singaporean banker working in Shanghai as a relationship manager for Standard Chartered Bank's private banking business has been detained in China.
Ms Eden Wu Yidian, 31, has been held in a Wuxi jail near Shanghai since March 6 for allegedly harbouring a client who is on the run after embezzling US$50 million (S$63.4 million), according to news reports quoting her fiance.
Ms Wu was due to return to Singapore to get married on March 24, said The New Paper.
Although she has not been charged with any crime, Chinese police are investigating a client of hers who allegedly fled the country after embezzling money from the state-owned Agricultural Bank of China.
The client was an employee of the bank's branch in Jiangyin, a city in Jiangsu province near Shanghai, reported The Financial Times.
According to The Straits Times, Ms Wu came to Singapore 10 years ago after graduating from a university in China. She is said to be fluent in English, Mandarin, Hokkien and Japanese.
She started working in the banking sector after passing an accountancy exam. Ms Wu eventually took up Singaporean citizenship and is engaged to business consultant Mr Jason Tan, a 34-year-old Chinese-American living in Shanghai.
Mr Tan told Lianhe Wanbao that he had not been able to see his fiance for nine days but was allowed to speak to her on the phone. The last time he spoke to her was on Thursday.
He added that he and his parents are worried for her and she had pleaded for help.
Since January, Ms Wu had been summoned by Chinese police for questioning five times, said Mr Tan.
Ms Wu did not think anything of it initially and had told the police that she had to return to Singapore by March 8. However, she was detained when she visited the police station with her fiance.
Mr Tan told New York Times: "After I had waited outside the police station for about an hour, the police told me she was being detained."
The police also handed her diamond engagement ring, watch and necklace to him, reported Shin Min Daily News.
Mr Tan said he had accompanied her at least twice on her earlier visits to the police station and even witnessed her putting her thumbprint on some documents.
He was not allowed to sit in when she was questioned but she had told him of the sessions, said Mr Tan.
He also told Lianhe Wanbao that Ms Wu had not taken any money and was not aiding or harbouring anyone involved in the case.
Mr Tan said that since she started working in the private banking division in Shanghai nine months ago, Ms Wu had had the opportunity to mingle with some of the wealthiest people in China.
The Straits Times said that a Standard Chartered spokesman confirmed that Ms Wu was the bank's employee and said it was providing support by liaising with her family and legal representative.
The Standard Chartered spokesman also told The New Paper: "We are unable to comment on Eden's detention as this is part of an ongoing investigation by the police, but we can confirm that Standard Chartered is not being investigated."
Mr Tan said that the stress, anxiety and sleepless nights had caused him to lose 6kg since he last saw her.
Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Singapore Consulate-General in Shanghai is aware of the case, which is currently under investigation.
It said it will render all necessary consular assistance, including paying visits to Ms Wu, said The Straits Times.
[email][email protected][/EMAIL]
