He used chopper, knife to get six-figure refund
Man jailed for threatening businessman with chopper and knife
Unhappy that his wife could lose her investment money, he decided to take matters into his own hands.
Armed with a chopper and a knife, he barged into the multi-level marketing (MLM) company's office and demanded a refund.
He even pointed the weapons at the company managing director's neck and swung them at him.
His wife got her money back, but Sim Seng Guek was arrested for threatening the man.
Yesterday, Sim, 60, was jailed three weeks on one charge of criminal intimidation, with another taken into consideration.
Court papers said his wife, Ms Wu Jian Ping, had invested US$327,000 (S$454,000) in MLM company USFIA Singapore.
HOW MUCH?
The statement of facts, however, did not state what the investment was for or how much returns Ms Wu was promised.
She tried getting a refund, but was told by managing director Wong Yet Loong, 59, that there was a possibility that she would not get back the full sum.
On Sept 19 last year, Sim, carrying a plastic bag, went to Mr Wong's office at Paya Lebar Road to demand his wife's money back.
He also demanded that Mr Wong issue him a number of cheques, but Mr Wong said he needed time to check the invoices and tally the amount.
That was when Sim placed the plastic bag on the table in front of him and took out a chopper and a knife.
As their dispute got more heated, Sim picked up the chopper and knife and pointed them at Mr Wong's neck.
He also challenged Mr Wong to take the knife and fight with him.
When Mr Wong refused, Sim swung both the chopper and the knife at him, banged on the table and shouted at him.
The incident happened while Mr Wong's wife and 18-year-old daughter were in the office.
Sim warned them not to call the police and said he would chop anyone who came in.
Another employee, Ms Lucy Goh Joo See, was also threatened by Sim, who waved the two weapons at her in a threatening manner minutes later.
Sim packed up and left soon after.
The police were called in by one of Mr Wong's employees and officers tracked Sim down and arrested him on Oct 20.
He admitted to the police he intended to use the chopper and knife to scare Mr Wong into returning his wife's money.
He claimed he later discarded them.
Yesterday, Sim's lawyer, Mr Edmund Wong, said in mitigation that his client had acted in that manner because he was worried his wife would leave him and return to China if she did not get her money back.
He added that Sim's wife had invested in gemcoins that the company was dealing in.
District Judge Low Wee Ping said Sim's actions were extremely aggravating as he had used not one, but two weapons.
USFIA Singapore, also known as Gemcoin, was placed on an investor alert list by the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) on Dec 15 last year.
USFIA Singapore, which sells amber products, was in the news last November when The New Paper reported that one of its directors, Mr Steve Chen, a US citizen, had been taken to court in the US by the country's Securities and Exchange Commission.
The MAS had previously told TNP that "USFIA is neither licensed nor regulated by MAS".
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