Accused in S$2.8B money laundering case arrived in Singapore in 2021, allegedly used S$500k in illicit gains

SINGAPORE: The accused in the S$2.8 billion money laundering case, Su Wenqiang (苏文强), has been wanted in China since 2015. Investigations have uncovered that Su was enlisted as an executive for a remote lottery business operating from the Philippines and Cambodia. This business specifically targeted Chinese gamblers, and evidence suggests that Su was compensated in cash for his involvement. Moreover, the money involved in Su's charges is believed to be linked to these illicit remote gambling operations abroad. The 31-year-old Cambodian national originally from Fujian, China, faces two charges in the Singapore court. The first charge pertains to possessing S$601,706 (US$441,000) derived at least in part from illegal remote gambling activities. The second charge accuses him of utilizing S$500,000 in unlawful proceeds to purchase a Mercedes Benz AMG C63S in January of last year. Su was apprehended on August 15 during an islandwide raid conducted by the Singapore Police Force in connection to money laundering offences. As reported by CNA, on Thursday (2 Nov), His defence lawyers, Mr Sameer Amir Melber and Mr Manoj Nandwani from Gabriel Law Corporation, made an application for his release on bail. Mr Sameer emphasized that despite extensive media attention on the case, the prosecution attempted to consolidate all 10 accused individuals and establish connections between them. He argued that his client did not pose a flight risk, given that most of his assets had already been confiscated, and even if he possessed a house in China, he was wanted there. Mr Sameer said it was unlikely that further evidence would be obtained through remanding his client further, and said there has been no charge for common intention or conspiracy involving his client. According to Mr Sameer, there was little likelihood of obtaining further evidence by detaining his client, and no charges had been filed implicating his client in any common intention or conspiracy. He also pointed out that while the prosecution claimed there were four individuals capable of aiding Su's escape, these four individuals were not in Singapore during the time of the police raid, indicating that they had not escaped as the prosecution alleged.

Defence lawyer highlights Su's desire for his children to benefit from Singapore's 'robust education system'

Stating that his client, Su, is a father of two young children aged five and six, the defence lawyer emphasized that Su had relocated his family to Singapore in 2021, with the intention of establishing permanent residency and taking advantage of the country's 'robust education system'. In response, Senior Investigation Officer Francis Lim from the Criminal Investigation Department disclosed that a sum of S$601,706 in cash connected to Su had been confiscated. Additionally, approximately S$2 million in his wife's bank account and two vehicles valued at no less than S$584,000, registered under his wife's name, were also seized. Mr Lim further revealed that the charge relating to the Mercedes Benz stemmed from findings indicating that Su had made the purchase using S$500,000 in cash. In total, Su is confronted with charges involving alleged criminal proceeds exceeding S$1.1 million, a substantial sum as described by Mr. Lim. The Senior Investigation Officer also mentioned that there might be additional charges brought against Su, given that the investigations are still in their early stages and the authorities are actively examining the origins of Su's wealth.

Su's funds allegedly linked to illegal gambling operations abroad

Mr. Lim underscored that Su's connection to a remote lottery business operating in the Philippines and Cambodia, along with the compelling evidence linking the money in Su's possession to these illicit remote gambling activities overseas, makes it imperative that Su does not evade the charges. He emphasized the potential injustice if Su were to escape justice. Furthermore, Mr Lim highlighted that Su has been sought after by Chinese authorities. He acknowledged that an associate from the remote lottery business assisted Su in obtaining a Vanuatu passport through a courier, which Su then used for travel. According to Mr. Lim Su lacks strong roots in Singapore. While his parents reside in China, his wife and children are Chinese nationals. Su possesses a property in Xiamen valued at approximately S$1.9 million, registered under his wife's name. Mr Lim also raised concerns about accomplices who might aid Su in escaping justice. "Based on the mobile phones seized from the accused, he and his accomplices would communicate with each other in WhatsApp and Telegram group chats to discuss the operations of their remote gambling websites," said Mr Lim. "They would also discuss the transnational movement of funds from the remote gambling websites." He warned that these accomplices remain at large and could assist Su in fleeing. The judge denied the bail application, noting that Su had resided in Singapore for only two years since relocating with his family in 2021, and neither holds citizenship nor permanent residency. The judge scheduled the case for a pre-trial conference in December.

Chinese authorities have sought Su Jianfeng and other individuals since 2015

It was revealed that some of the accused in the S$2.8 billion money laundering case, are wanted by Chinese authorities for their involvement in various unlawful activities, such as illegal gambling or fraud. A comparison with Chinese media reports suggests that some of these suspects have been sought by Chinese authorities for their alleged involvement in criminal activities dating as far back as 2015. In 2015,  the Guiyang County Public Security Bureau discovered that Su Jianfeng, along with other individuals, Wang Dehai, Su Wenqiang, Wang Huoqiang, and Su Yongcan were suspects of a major crime, and they were fugitives at that time. In a noteworthy connection to the current S$2.8 billion case, Su, Wang Dehai (王德海), and Su Wenqiang (苏文强) are among the ten individuals arrested and charged. This article was first published on Gutzy Asia.