Scam said to finance high-cost love fling

By Xu Fang  |   2008-11-14  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

A CUSTOMER service manager of a German-invested store was arrested yesterday for allegedly embezzling more than 1 million yuan (US$146,428) from his company.

Jin Wang, 31, allegedly used the money to travel around the country with his mistress. Minhang District prosecutors have charged him with embezzlement.

Jin was in charge of handling the membership card section at the store. He would supervise the bulk orders customers made and settle accounts with them at the end of a month.

Last year, Jin got into a relationship with a woman surnamed Wang, but his wife soon discovered the affair, authorities said. Facing a crisis in his marriage, Jin allegedly decided to abandon his family and take off with his girlfriend. But he was badly short of funds, prosecutors said.

Jin then hit upon a scheme to generate fake orders from customers, send out goods from the store and sell these in the market, prosecutors charged.

On November 13, 2007, Jin informed the store that a local hotel and a golf club had ordered a batch of edible oil, seasonings and alcohol. The store then issued a bill of lading and Jin allegedly took out goods valued more than 400,000 yuan. This included 5,800 barrels of oil, 90 bottles of high-end alcohol and expensive seasoning. He then sold the goods in market, according to prosecutors.

On February 14, Jin received 660,000 yuan as payment for goods delivered to another customer but didn't turn in the money, authorities said. Instead, he escaped to Yunnan Province with Wang the next day, according to the prosecutors office.