Man accuses brother of stealing late mother's $20k savings and $30k condolence money

A man accused his younger brother of taking $30,000 worth of funds donated by the public after their mother died from cancer, as well as pocketing another $20,000 from her savings.

Mr Chen, 32, who grew up in poverty, is a graduate of Nanyang Technological University (NTU).
After his mother passed away from lung cancer on November 2012, members of the public donated money to help out the family which was going through a tough time. 

Mr Chen told Shin Min Daily News that he managed to raise about $40,000 through social media channels, with the majority of the funds contributed by kind strangers.

His younger brother subsequently spent $30,000 of the funds, leaving him with about $9,000 for the family’s living expenses. 

He said:

“Once we got the funds, he (the younger brother) immediately asked how we were going to distribute it.

“I emphasised that the money would go towards the family's living expenses, but I was tied down by various matters and left the money to his care.”

Mr Chen also stressed that during the time when his mother was ill, he not only looked after her but had to juggle between his studies and chores.

As such, he was exhausted.

He did not expect his younger brother to spend the money on a whim.

Mr Chen lamented:

“I suddenly realised there were so many new branded shoes and clothes in the house.

“My younger brother also tried asking money from my father on many occasions.

“I later found out that he had squandered away more than $30,000 on branded goods within half a year.”

He also revealed that his younger brother had pleaded with him not to expose his deeds to the media, and promised to find a job soon so he could repay the money. 

“He (the younger brother) has graduated from the Institute of Technology Education (ITE) for four years now but has yet to find a job.

“He just spends the entire day playing computer games.

“If my father refuses to give him an allowance, he would go about throwing items in the house. 

“I seriously cannot tolerate him anymore.”

Mr Chen added that his younger brother even withdrew $20,000 worth of savings from their late mother’s bank account.

He had intended to use the money to pay for his university fees but discovered that there was only about $5,000 left while he was withdrawing money in 2013.

At the end of his ropes, Mr Chen said that the family wasn’t well off and must be frugal with their money. 

However, the family now owes about $50,000 due to the actions of his brother.

Hardening his heart, Mr Chen said that he intends to kick his younger brother out of the house and sever their ties. 

On his account, Mr Chen's younger brother had lodged a report claiming that his older sibling attacked him with a knife, injuring his finger.