SINGAPORE – An antique seller sold a customer’s 18th-century vase worth more than $300,000 without his permission, used the proceeds to pay his own debts, and replaced the vase with a fake.
Separately, the seller had also damaged a Chinese calligraphy painting belonging to the same customer while trying to clean it and replaced it with a printed copy.
Kuok Chio, 42, was sentenced to 29 months’ jail on March 3, after he had earlier pleaded guilty to three charges – one each of acquiring the benefits of his criminal conduct, criminal breach of trust and cheating.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jordon Li said Kuok operated Chinese Art Centre, which was in the business of commercial antique sales.
In October 2023, Kuok visited the location where the customer, Dr Chan Chi Chin, kept his collection, claiming there was a group of buyers who were interested in purchasing some of the antiques. The two men were acquainted as Dr Chan had bought antiques from Kuok.
After Dr Chan’s wife told him she was uncomfortable with letting Kuok handle the sale, Dr Chan told Kuok he was no longer looking to sell his collection.
A few days later, Kuok told Dr Chan that he was travelling to Hong Kong, and asked to take two of the antiques to Hong Kong for valuation.
Dr Chan allowed Kuok to take a vase dating back to the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong in the 18th century. But he said the vase should not be sold without his consent.
Kuok agreed and gave Dr Chan a post-dated cheque for a sum of $50,000 as collateral. According to court documents, the vase was valued at at least HK$1.8 million (S$312,300).
Kuok, who was in debt to the tune of $60,000 to $70,000 because his business had been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, then sold Dr Chan’s vase to an antique dealer for $150,000.
In November 2023, Kuok gave Dr Chan a replica of the vase he had sold. It was not stated how Kuok’s acts came to light, but Dr Chan made a police report that same month.
About half a year later, Dr Chan discovered that a Chinese calligraphy painting Kuok had purportedly cleaned and returned to him had been replaced with a printed copy of the painting.
In June 2021, while he was at Dr Chan’s house, Kuok had come across a Chinese calligraphy painting which Dr Chan had bought for $18,000.
Kuok advised Dr Chan to have the painting professionally cleaned after pointing out some stains on it. Dr Chan agreed and paid Kuok $2,700.
In January 2022, Kuok told Dr Chan that he had restored the painting and claimed to be returning it rolled up inside a PVC pipe. He told Dr Chan not to open the pipe as it contained nitrogen gas that would help preserve the painting.
In June 2024, Dr Chan took the item, which was still kept in the PVC pipe, to an art dealer’s office as he wanted to reframe the painting. Staff at the art dealer opened the pipe, inspected the item in it, and told Dr Chan that it was a fake.
It turned out that Kuok did not know how to clean the painting and resorted to learning how to do so from an online video tutorial. But he accidentally damaged the painting by incorrectly preparing the chemical mixture for the cleaning.
He then printed a copy of the painting at a printing shop, using a photo that he had taken before starting the cleaning process, and gave it to Dr Chan.
Those who commit criminal breach of trust can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.
If convicted of cheating, an offender can be jailed up to three years, fined, or both.
Individuals found guilty of acquiring benefits of criminal conduct can be jailed for up to 10 years, fined up to $500,000, or both.
- Nadine Chua is a crime and court journalist at The Straits Times.
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