A 62-year-old man in Singapore spent eight futile years trying to get back the S$50,000 he left with his ex-girlfriend for safekeeping.
Despite having a signed agreement for the transaction and witnesses to the scene, Xie Shun An has been unable to retrieve the cash after multiple attempts to reach out to 62-year-old Ms Hong.
It was reported by Chinese-language newspaper Shin Min Daily News that Mr Xie met Ms Hong in 1996 while working at a shipyard.
They ran into each other again in 2014, when Mr Xie developed feelings for Ms Hong and began pursuing her.
He claimed to move in with Ms Hong and pay S$600 a month for a room.
Mr Xie also said he handed over S$50,000 to Ms Hong because he didn’t know how to manage his cash and wanted it to be kept safe. They agreed that the money would be returned when he needed it.
However, their relationship went downhill three months later, and Ms Hong allegedly refused to return the money.
He tried visiting, calling and texting Ms Hong, reporting the incident to the police, seeking legal assistance and inquiring about debt collection services, to no avail.
Meanwhile, Ms Hong also shared her side of the story, revealing she never helped Mr Xie keep his money.
She also denied signing any agreement with Mr Xie, renting out a room to him or accepting any of his romantic advances.
“He’s simple-minded and assumed that our relationship was beyond what it really was. I’ve never liked him, and he’s trying to destroy me just because he didn’t succeed in wooing me. I’m very disappointed in him and will consider applying for a personal protection order so that he can no longer harass me,” said Ms Hong to Shin Min Daily News.
Ms Hong also said their relationship never progressed beyond work matters and that Mr Xie had been “fired” repeatedly for drinking during work hours.
It was revealed by their mutual ex-colleagues that Mr Xie did give Ms Hong cash, although it couldn’t be confirmed how much. They also witnessed Ms Hong signing an agreement.
Mr Xie provided Shin Min Daily News with a photocopy of the alleged agreement signed on June 26, 2014.
He used to earn over S$10,000 working on the sea but lost over S$1 million through gambling.
Mr Xie hopes to get his money back as he had recently lost his job with zero savings left. /TISG