Charles Yeo claims Singapore is seeking his extradition from UK; AGC remains silent

UNITED KINGDOM:  Charles Yeo, a former Singaporean politician and lawyer currently seeking asylum in the UK, recently claimed that the Singapore government has filed an extradition application for his return from the UK.

In a post on his Instagram account, “toxicstatenarrativeinsg,” Yeo stated that the extradition application was submitted on Sunday, 27 October.

On Monday, he elaborated in another Instagram post, explaining that his lawyers had informed him that morning about the official extradition proceedings initiated by the Singapore government.

He noted that he is expected to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court with his legal counsel to contest the extradition.

Yeo asserted that he is represented by highly competent lawyers who can effectively counter the Singapore government’s attempts to “fix him.”

He defended his position, stating that he had done nothing wrong and that the Singapore government would not easily succeed in this matter.

The Online Citizen has contacted the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) to confirm whether an extradition application has been filed, but no response has been received at the time of reporting.

Charles Yeo seeks political asylum in the UK amid prosecution in Singapore

In July 2022, Yeo, then 31 years old, jumped bail and sought asylum in the UK, citing persecution and imprisonment in Singapore.

Notably, no extradition application for Yeo was filed previously, despite Singapore issuing a warrant for Yeo’s arrest in August 2022.

He is recognised among the list of at-risk human rights activists and lawyers identified by various UN rapporteurs, defending individuals on death row.

Yeo was a part of the Reform Party (RP) candidates, including leader Kenneth Jeyaretnam, Andy Zhu Lai Cheng, Soh Guan Soon, and Noraini Yunus, who contested in Ang Mo Kio GRC during GE2020.

The PAP team, led by PM Lee Hsien Loong, Gan Thiam Poh, Darryl David, Nadia Ahmad Samdin, and Ng Ling Ling, secured the GRC seat with 71.91% of the votes.

On 12 January 2022, Yeo was arrested, along with another person, over alleged criminal breach of trust and forgery concerning his law firm’s clients.

Subsequently, on 19 January 2022, he was charged with wounding the religious feelings of the Christian community and harassing a policeman through social media posts.

Before these charges, he posted a series of Instagram Stories on his Instagram account between 3 November 2020 and 11 January 2021, targeting a police officer carrying out his duties.

He faces a total of six charges in Singapore, including uttering words to wound religious feelings, attempting to do so twice, and making abusive or threatening communications towards a public servant under the Protection from Harassment Act.

Following his charges, Yeo claimed to be “facing politically motivated persecution” aimed at imprisoning or exiling him.

In July 2022, the Court of Appeal ordered lawyer Charles Yeo to pay S$4,000 in personal costs to the Attorney-General (AG).

The order came after Yeo and the Malaysian non-profit organization Lawyers for Liberty (LFL) unsuccessfully challenged the death sentences of two drug traffickers.

He was granted permission by the court to travel from  27 to 30 July 2022 to Vietnam to meet a witness for work purposes.

On 31 July, he announced on Instagram his “painful” decision to seek political asylum in the UK.

He clarified that he didn’t choose to hide in a “backwater, far-removed, and lawless crime haven country” because an innocent person wouldn’t do so.

Instead, he opted for the UK to witness how the AGC presented his case in what he perceived as an “impartial and non-PAP-controlled legal system.”

Singapore authorities later issued a warrant of arrest against him.

Charles Yeo convicted of contempt for Instagram posts alleged to undermine Singapore judiciary’s integrity

In November 2022, Yeo appeared in a Singapore court hearing via a Zoom call and was convicted of contempt of court for scandalizing the judiciary.

This was about two Instagram stories he posted on 14 March 2022, where he expressed grievances regarding a dispute with fellow lawyer Joseph Chen.

The AG was granted permission by the High Court on 10 May to proceed with contempt proceedings against Yeo, and relevant papers were served on him on 17 May.

The AG sought punishment for Yeo’s contempt, arguing that his Instagram stories undermined the integrity and impartiality of the Singapore courts and expressed concern that these actions posed a risk to public confidence in the administration of justice in Singapore.

Yeo is understood to have been sentenced, in January 2023, to a fine of S$20,000 and ordered to pay S$16,000 in legal costs and disbursements to the AG.

Extradition bid for Charles Yeo follows news of refugee status granted to Lee Hsien Yang and wife in UK

The extradition application for Yeo coincided with recent breaking news that former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s brother, Lee Hsien Yang (LHY), and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, had been granted refugee status in the UK, two years after leaving Singapore.

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian, LHY claims his departure was driven by what he describes as a campaign of political persecution by the Singaporean government under his brother’s administration.

He accused the Singaporean authorities of using legal actions and investigations to intimidate and repress him and his family.

The Singaporean government, however, has denied these accusations.

A government spokesperson refuted Lee’s claims, stating that Singapore has a robust legal system designed to combat corruption and illicit financial flows.

The spokesperson pointed to Singapore’s strong performance in Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index, where the country ranks well above the UK.

“No one is above the law in Singapore, including the offspring of the founding prime minister,” the spokesperson added.