Missing' Singaporean woman says she travelled to Romania to look for Internet boyfriend

Missing' Singaporean woman says she travelled to Romania to look for Internet boyfriend

Yap (centre) with her mother and "boyfriend" Alexandru Donea. PHOTO: SCREENGRAB FROM PRO TV VIDEO

 

SINGAPORE: The Singaporean woman who allegedly went missing after travelling to Romania with her mother has claimed that she wanted to meet her boyfriend, whom she befriended online two years ago. 

Administrative assistant Cheryl Yap Lay Leng, 25, and Madam Foo Li Kheng, 61, were reported as missing by Ms Yap's father after they departed for the Romanian capital of Bucharest on Jan 22.
Mr Yap, a 59-year-old taxi driver, had told Shin Min Daily News on Monday (Feb 1) that he was worried his wife and daughter had fallen victim to a scam as they had left Singapore without his knowledge and were uncontactable. 

But in a television interview with Romanian broadcaster Pro TV on Tuesday, Ms Yap shared that she and her mother were now staying with her "boyfriend" Alexandru Donea and his parents at their home in Vulturesti, a village commune in Olt County about 150km from Bucharest.

When asked by a reporter why she had come to Romania, Ms Yap replied: "To meet my boyfriend to work together on YouTube." 

The boyfriend and his parents also appeared in the news clip.

Pro TV reported that Ms Yap and Mr Donea both shared a passion for manga, with Ms Yap deciding to visit him as they wanted to meet "in the real world". 

Romanian police also clarified on Tuesday night that Ms Yap and her mother were not victims of any crime. 

A photo of the pair, flanked by two police officers and an unknown man dressed in black, was uploaded onto the Facebook page of Politia Romana.

"We wish them a pleasant stay further in Romania," the post said. 

In a statement to The Straits Times on Wednesday morning, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "The Ministry is relieved that the two Singaporeans are safe and wish to thank the Romanian police for their assistance.  

"The next-of-kin has also contacted the two Singaporeans and MFA is in close touch with the next-of-kin. We will continue to maintain contact with the Romanian authorities and render the necessary assistance to the Singaporeans.” 

Olt County police spokesman Claudia Radu had told Romanian newspaper Libertatea that officers visited Mr Donea's house on Tuesday to check on them. 

According to Mr Yap, his daughter had with her four bank passbooks containing savings of at least $40,000, along with cash and SG50 commemorative notes.

The pair also did not book any hotel, he told Shin Min. 

He only found out about their trip - they had booked their return for April 16 - through his daughter's credit card bill. He was later notified by his daughter's company that she had not applied for leave.

The mystery deepened when Shin Min reported that Ms Yap's elder brother had managed to access her computer, discovering that she had erased files, including photos, before her trip.

But a Facebook friend of Ms Yap, Ms Jerleen Tang, told The Straits Times on the same day that the pair were safe and had been in contact with her.

Ms Tang declined to comment further, saying: "I don't want to stress her."

Ms Yap has been described by her father as quiet and reserved, with not many friends. She reportedly shares a close relationship with her mother. - The Straits Times/Asia News Network