Cold Blooded Murders by Alex Josey Read Free Book Online

various
solicitors to prove Jenny’s death in order to collect this money. They insisted
that Jenny was dead, ‘and, members of the jury, who was in a better position
than Sunny Ang to assert with such finality that Jenny was, indeed, dead?’
    The rest of the first day of the trial was
taken up by witnesses involved in the insurance policies. An official of the
Great Eastern Life Insurance Company Limited produced a letter from Jenny. It
read as follows:
    Cheok Cheng Kid
    33, Lim Liak St.,
    Singapore, 3.
    28 June 1963
     
    Dear Sir,
    Regard to your letter LKT/MT
your agent have ask me many times to buy insurance. I think good idea to save
money. So I buy policy for 20 year endowment for $10,000 (with, not without
profit) cost about $40 one month and I also very happy can buy $200,000
insurance for only $20 one month. I feel happy got insurance because I dream my
died father tell me if I buy insurance I cannot get accident or harm—like good
luck charm. Also I can afford it, all only $60 one month. I earn more $450 one
month. If amount too big, less it, I not mind.
    Next month I want to buy 10
year endowment for $30,000 policy. I want to save money for open dressmaking
shop next time. Then I no need work in bar. But I get cold now, cannot go for
doctor exam. My cold OK then I go.
    Madam Yeo Bee Neo is old lady
is my friend mother I like better than my own mother. My own mother married
another man already. My father is died. But name I anyhow put, I may change to
my sister I also like very much. But now name not important, I can always
change.
     
    Yours faithfully
    [sgd] Cheok Cheng Kid
     
    Later, the witness received another letter.
He read it to the Court. It went as follows:
     
    Cheok Cheng Kid
    33, Lim Liak St.,
    Singapore, 3.
    2 July 1963
     
    The Actuary
    The Great Eastern Life
Assurance Co Ltd
    16, Cecil Street,
    Singapore, 1.
     
    Dear Sir,
    Further to my letter dated 28
June, 1963, I wish to add, in order to dispel any fears you may justifiably
have, that I am prepared to narrow down the scope of your double indemnity
cover to exclude liability from death through third party agency, whether
felonious or accidental.
    Believe me I want accident
cover just for the sake of having it for the reason I disclosed in my last
letter, and because I may make occasional flights in commercial aircraft in the
near future to the Borneo territories.
    I expect of course a proportionate
reduction of the premium charged, or since I’ve paid about $21 DI premiums, how
much more cover can I obtain for the same premium at the reduced rate? The
above reduced-liability clause, would, of course, not apply to the endowment
sum.
    Thank you.
     
    Yours faithfully
    [sgd] Cheok Cheng Kid
     
    By the end of the second day 13 witnesses
had given evidence for the prosecution, including K. T. Ooi, a senior partner
of Braddell Brothers, the lawyer who drew up a will for Jenny. She left her
estate to Ang’s mother. Ang was present when the will was drawn up. At the end
of the third day, Justice Buttrose granted the defence a week’s postponement
after being told that the prosecution intended to call an additional expert
witness. He said it was ‘most disgraceful’ that the prosecution had not
completed its investigation when the case came up for hearing. Mr Seow
explained that it was only after the case had been fixed for trial that it
occurred to him to call in a scuba-diving expert.
    The key prosecution witness, the boatman,
Yusuf bin Ahmad, gave evidence when the trial was resumed on Wednesday, 5 May
1965, the fourth day of the trial. It was during this day’s hearings that the
judge described as ‘scandalous’ the circumstances which led to the defence
counsel interviewing Yusuf while Ang was under arrest.
    Yusuf bin Ahmad gave his evidence in Malay.
    In the Lower Court, during the inquiry, Mr
Seow had created something in the nature of a sensation when he revealed that
attempts had been made to suborn his main witness, Yusuf. Mr Seow