Wang Shuiting, the brother of Vang Shuiming (seen in illustration), is one of eight people on the run from the authorities. ST ILLUSTRATION: CEL GULAPA
SINGAPORE: One of the eight people wanted by the police in Singapore’s worst money laundering scandal is the brother of an accused person involved in the case.
The accused person, Vang Shuiming, is also known as Wang Shuiming. He is one of 10 foreigners, all originally from China, who are accused of being involved in the case that has seen $2.4 billion worth of assets and cash seized.
At Vang’s bail review hearing on Friday, Deputy Public Prosecutor David Koh argued against granting him bail.
He said Vang’s brother, Wang Shuiting, is one of eight people on the run from the authorities here.
Turkish national Vang, 42, was arrested with the other nine accused people in islandwide raids on good class bungalows and high-end condominiums on Aug 15. The raids involved more than 400 officers led by the Commercial Affairs Department.
The police said then that another 12 people were assisting in investigations, while eight others were on the run and had been placed on a wanted list.
After a 2½-hour court session, District Judge Brenda Tan denied Vang bail.
She noted that Vang and his family relocated to Singapore only in 2019. And with the serious charges he now faces, the judge said he had motivation to set up home in another country.
Moreover, the judge said, Vang had admitted to having more than $35.5 million worth of assets overseas, which shows he clearly has the means to relocate comfortably.
DPP Koh said on Friday that Vang is known to be connected to at least three suspects on the wanted list.
Other than Wang Shuiting, the other fugitives have not been named because of operational reasons, said DPP Koh.
He said the three suspects are out of jurisdiction and could help Vang abscond if he was granted bail.
The judge agreed and said there was also the risk of contamination of evidence or collusion with other suspects.
Wang Shuiting is wanted by the Chinese authorities for his involvement in the Heng Bo Bao Wang gambling syndicate uncovered in 2022.
Vang, originally from Fujian province in China, is allegedly an associate of the syndicate. The brothers are among nine members of the gang on the run from the Chinese authorities.
Wang Shuiting is a member of Sentosa Golf Club, which foreigners have to pay about $950,000 to join.
Pointing to Vang’s high flight risk, DPP Koh said Vang and his wife, son and daughter hold three passports each, from Turkey, China and Vanuatu.
Vang admitted he also had a Cambodian passport.
DPP Koh said Vang has sizeable assets overseas, specifically in Cambodia, and this passport would allow him to easily enter the country.
The prosecutor said: “The accused has remained vague and coy about this (Cambodian) passport. He only said it is presently not in his possession, and if he does have this passport, he will surrender it to the police.
“But he refuses to say where this passport is, or even where he believes it to be... It is not a meaningful claim or promise on his part.”
DPP Koh said Vang claimed he had obtained the passports through financial contributions or donations. The prosecutor noted that Vang could easily acquire new passports for himself and his family.
DPP Koh added that Vang also admitted that he made plans to obtain another passport from St Kitts and Nevis, but it is not known if he has obtained it.
Though Vang said it would be difficult, impractical and undesirable for him to uproot his entire family, including his elderly parents and children, the prosecutor cast doubt on this claim.
DPP Koh said Vang had managed to relocate his entire family to Singapore despite being wanted by the Chinese authorities.
The court also heard that investigations have found some evidence that Vang committed the offences he has been accused of.
For instance, he purportedly submitted a forged bank document from China Merchant Bank to Citibank. Investigations so far show he does not have any account with China Merchant Bank.
Yet, Vang has been silent on his position about these allegations, said DPP Koh.
Arguing against the prosecution’s application, defence lawyer Wendell Wong said Vang is willing to surrender all his family members’ passports.
Mr Wong also noted that Vang had not obtained the passports illegally, but in accordance with the jurisdictions that issued them.
The lawyer also questioned when the Chinese authorities had issued a warrant of arrest for Vang. He said that on Feb 16, Vang entered the Chinese Embassy in Singapore to renounce his citizenship and was not arrested.
Mr Wong added that Vang was willing to be electronically tagged, and put on the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority’s blacklist.
Addressing the concern of collusion, Mr Wong said the court could impose a condition for Vang not to contact any of the known associates.
As for Vang’s position on the allegations, Mr Wong said his client intended to claim trial to the charges.
The lawyer said it would be putting the cart before the horse if the defence was asked to enter its case in bail review proceedings.
DPP Koh replied that people who wish to flee jurisdiction do not always do so via immigration checkpoints. Some may leave illegally.
Though the prosecutor agreed with the defence that there should be presumption of innocence for all accused individuals, he said this does not mean they cannot be held in remand.
Vang faces the most number of charges among the 10 accused. He faces five charges – one count of using a forged document and four counts of money laundering.
In subsequent court mentions after the 10 accused were charged on Aug 16, prosecutors had ordered them to be remanded further amid concerns they might collude with one another or with associates who might interfere with investigations.
Vang had repeatedly asked for bail in these mentions, and also filed an application to the High Court asking for the orders to be revoked. On Sept 5, Justice Vincent Hoong dismissed his bid.
On Sept 20, the Singapore Police Force said it had conducted more operations, and that additional assets were seized and issued with prohibition of disposal orders.
These included bank accounts with a total estimated value of more than $1.127 billion.
Cash – including foreign currencies – amounting to more than $76 million was also seized.
Other confiscated items included 68 gold bars, 294 luxury bags, 164 luxury watches, 546 pieces of jewellery, cryptocurrencies worth more than $38 million, and 204 electronic devices such as computers and mobile phones.
Prohibition of disposal orders were also issued against more than 110 properties and 62 vehicles worth more than $1.242 billion, bottles of liquor and wine, and multiple ornaments.
The orders mean the accused cannot sell these items.
Vang’s case has been scheduled for a pre-trial conference on Oct 27. - The Straits Times/ANN
