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Thursday, September 25, 2008

Bank Of East Asia Singapore Branch Hit By Withdrawals

Bank Of East Asia Singapore Branch Hit By Withdrawals
Dow Jones

SINGAPORE (AFP)--Dozens of clients descended on the Hong Kong-based Bank of East Asia's (BKEAY) office in Singapore Thursday after hearing rumors about its exposure to collapsed U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. (LEHMQ) .

Some said they were there to withdraw their money, while others said they were contemplating their next move after getting assurances from bank staff and Singapore's central bank that the rumors were unfounded.

The rumors have also been denied by Hong Kong Monetary Authority Chief Executive Joseph Yam and Hong Kong Financial Secretary John Tsang.

Wahib Bimmadim, an office employee, said he was sent by his company to withdraw SGD16 million (US$11.26 million) his firm had deposited with the bank.

"My company said it was something connected with Lehman Brothers and they didn't want to take any risk," he said. "We are transferring the money to another bank."

Lehman Brothers went bankrupt this month under the strain of the U.S. subprime, or high-risk, mortgage crisis, sparking turmoil on financial markets across the world.

Hundreds of savers also swarmed the Bank of East Asia's branches in Hong Kong for a second day Thursday to empty their accounts, but its share price bounced back after authorities there insisted it wasn't overexposed to Wall Street's crisis.

In Singapore, the bank's client Chris Woon said he was still thinking whether to end his five-year relationship with it.

"I don't think there's a serious problem. This can happen anywhere in the world," he said.

Woon added he had just closed an account with the Singapore subsidiary of troubled global insurance giant American International Group (AIG), which was recently bailed out by the U.S. government.

Lim Lok Chiang, the bank's first vice president, condemned what he described as "malicious rumors" about its stability.

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  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
09-25-08 0411ET
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Source:http://money.cnn.com/news/newsfeeds/articles/djf500/200809250411DOWJONESDJONLINE000350_FORTUNE5.htm