SINGAPORE — The owner of ramen chain Takagi Ramen has made a police report against Japanese restaurant chain Ministry of Food (MOF), alleging that the latter owes him $16,000.

Yang Kaiheng also claims that MOF chief executive Lena Sim discriminated against him simply for being a former convict.

Yang and his wife Ai Takagi first came into the media spotlight as the administrators of now defunct website The Real Singapore (TRS). They were both convicted of sedition in 2016 over articles carried on the site, and jailed eight months and 10 months respectively. Takagi is the co-owner of the ramen shop.

In a Facebook post on Wednesday evening (29 January), Yang wrote, “Digging up what happened with TRS over 5 years ago and suggesting that this is the same me today is simply not true. I’ve started TRS again, now as The Royal Singapore to share motivational and inspiring stories of average Singaporeans, to spread positivity and shine light on the good things happening around us.”

Yang’s Facebook post, which included photos of the police report, an email from Sim to a property agent, and another email from Yang to the property agent, has since garnered over 750 reactions, more than 270 positive comments and over 1,000 shares as of Thursday afternoon (30 January).

Yang added in the post, “When I read this scathing, hatred filled email written by someone (Sim) who actually owes me money, it cut deep and it was the first time I had experienced such discrimination so openly and so directly. Even though you know in the back of your mind that people quietly choose not to work with you, the hurt is so much worse when it is penned so clearly and in your face. I was just trying to get my goodwill deposit back but was slapped in the face with this instead, and to date, the money has still not been returned.”

The Royal Singapore Facebook page, of which Yang is the administrator, has 354,000 followers.

Takagi Ramen currently has four outlets - at Ang Mo Kio, Jurong West, Pasir Ris and the National University of Singapore.

When Yahoo News Singapore contacted MOF, Sim said via email, “Ministry of Food (“MOF”) denies the allegations made in the Facebook post. The matter is now being handled by MOF’s lawyers. It is therefore not appropriate for me to comment further publicly as MOF’s lawyers will be doing the necessary. In this regard, both MOF and I reserve all our rights to take whatever legal action against any party we deem fit to protect our rights.”

Deposit of $16,000 was for premise at Clementi Mall

According to the police report, which was lodged at Tanglin Police Division HQ last Wednesday (22 January), Yang handed over $16,000 as a goodwill deposit to a property agent of Regence Investments Consultancy, Aaron Siow, together with a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the lease of a premise at Clementi Mall, on 29 December last year.

As the terms of the LOI weren’t met, the deposit was supposed to have been refunded to Takagi Ramen by 10 January this year. However, despite multiple demands for the return of the sum, Siow and Sim allegedly haven’t done so, according to the report.

Yang said in the report, “It has come to light that Ministry of Food does not have the authority to grant the terms sought by after in the Letter of Intent and therefore has no right to ‘accept’ the Letter of Intent. Despite this, the goodwill deposit cheque was promptly deposited into their bank account on 6th Jan 2020.”

Both Siow and Sim “engaged in various unscrupulous coercion tactics to try and push through a licensing agreement very different from the terms sought after” in the original LOI, Yang alleged in the police report.

“They continue to use delay tactics leading me to believe that the monies, legally due to me, have been misappropriated,” he added.

Additionally, Siow is still marketing the property in his marketing emails, Yang said, thus “raising suspicions that he may be actively involved in assisting Ministry of Food to cheat and misappropriate funds”.

MOF CEO allegedly ‘don’t want any dealings with couple’

According to an email supposedly sent by Sim to Siow on January 23, which he then forwarded to Yang the same day, Sim said, “It is to my horror to discover the background of Takagi Ramen’s owners. No wonder they are so aggressive, unreasonable, threatening and even abusive.”

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