THE probe in the Philippines into Alice Guo (pic), a former mayor allegedly linked to money laundering and other crimes, have expanded to Singapore.
Her purported associates include Singaporean Zhang Jie, who is said to be the former president of an online casino group in the archipelago.
Zhang, who is wanted in Manila by the nation’s anti-corruption watchdog, allegedly ran a Philippine offshore gaming operators (Pogo) that was involved in human trafficking and scams.
Guo’s other associate in Singapore is said to be Wu Duanren. Philippine lawmakers described him as the “boss” of several illegal gambling groups there.
Checks by The Straits Times showed Zhang had a residence in Singapore and was registered as a director of several companies in Singapore.
Lawmakers in the Philippines accuse the two men of helping Guo escape the country in July 2024 amid investigations into her activities and background.
The Singapore Police Force said it is working with the Philippine authorities on the matter involving Zhang and Wu, and will provide assistance within the ambit of Singapore’s laws.
The spokesperson said in a Jan 7 statement: “Should we receive credible evidence of their alleged offences, we will deal firmly with them in accordance with our laws.”
Guo, also known as Guo Hua Ping, was mayor of Bamban in the city of Tarlac – about 1.5 hours from Manila – from June 2022 till her removal from office for grave misconduct in August 2024.
She is facing Philippine Senate investigations into her ties to another online casino in Bamban, which was allegedly a front for scam operations and other criminal activities.
Guo, who is said to originally be from China, had incorporated Baofu Land Development in 2019, a firm that allegedly built the scam compound.
It was set up with two convicts in Singapore’s S$3bil money laundering case – Chinese nationals Zhang Ruijin and Lin Baoying.
Zhang Ruijin 45, and Lin, 44, were each sentenced to 15 months’ jail after they pleaded guilty in Singapore to money laundering and forgery charges. The lovers were deported to Cambodia in June 2024 after serving their sentence.
Zhang Ruijin, Lin, Guo and 11 others were charged with human trafficking in the Philippines in September 2024 for forcing dozens of people to work for the scam compound.
While the Senate hearing was under way, Guo evaded the Philippine authorities and travelled to Malaysia via ship in July 2024. She then allegedly flew to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur on July 21, 2024. She reportedly stayed in Singapore for a month before leaving for Batam, Indonesia, via ferry on Aug 18, 2024.
The Indonesian and Philippine authorities said Zhang Jie allegedly booked four rooms at a Batam hotel for Guo and her entourage for three days.
Guo was arrested by the Indonesian authorities on Sept 3, 2024, in Jakarta and handed over to the Philippines to face the Senate.
Earlier hearings probing Guo’s background and lack of records in the Philippines have also led lawmakers to suspect her of being a Chinese “asset”.
However, Guo maintains that she is a natural-born Philippine citizen and has denied all allegations against her. — The Straits Times/ANN
