SINGAPORE – A man offered his accomplice a reward of between $50,000 and $100,000 to be part of a plan to help Ng Yu Zhi – a businessman allegedly linked to one of Singapore’s largest investment fraud schemes – unlawfully flee the country.
Police discovered the plan during a separate investigation into unrelated gambling offences and immediately took steps to stop the escape attempt.
On Wednesday (March 9), Keeren Marcus Phang Guan Wei, 32, was sentenced to three months’ jail after he pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy with his accomplice Alvin Oey Weizhong and another man, Ding Kuon Chwo, to obstruct the course of justice.
Oey, 37, was sentenced in January to 11 months’ jail and fined $20,000 after pleading guilty to a similar charge. He also admitted to an offence linked to unlawful gambling activities. The cases involving Ng, 34, and Ding, 63, are pending. All four men are Singaporeans.
Ng, the former director of Envy Asset Management and Envy Global Trading, is said to be linked to a nickel trading scheme that allegedly cheated investors of at least $1.2 billion. He was charged in court on March 22 last year and currently faces more than 90 charges, including multiple counts of cheating.
The following month, Phang heard rumours that the boss of “Envy car shop” wanted to abscond from Singapore and that a “hefty financial reward” was offered to those who could help facilitate the escape. Phang suspected that the “boss” was Ng.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Cheng You Duen said that Phang instructed Oey to check if he could help “someone” unlawfully leave Singapore for Malaysia, offering him a reward of between $50,000 and $100,000. Oey agreed to be part of the plan.
The DPP added that Oey later contacted Ding in April last year, instructing him to find a way to illegally transport a person from Singapore to Malaysia. Ding agreed to help with the inquiry. About two weeks later, Phang told Oey that Ng was the person they were helping to flee Singapore, also mentioning that Ng’s criminal case had been reported in the news.
When asked for an update, Oey said he would call Phang once he found someone who could assist. Some time later, Ding informed Oey that he had found one “Ah Seng” who suggested leaving by boat from Singapore to Batam, then from Batam to Malaysia. Oey reported this information to Phang and asked him to confirm with Ng.
Phang, however, said he had trouble contacting Ng and later approached another man to ask for Ng’s contact number. The man refused, saying he did not want to help Ng flee.
Police eventually discovered the plan and the offenders were charged in court last year.
On Wednesday, defence lawyer Sarbrinder Singh from Sanders Law pleaded for Phang to be given three months’ jail. He told the court: “The accused had rendered full cooperation and assistance to the authorities. He was upfront and revealed all he knew to the police during investigations.”
Phang was offered bail of $15,000 and ordered to surrender himself at the State Courts on March 22 to begin serving his sentence.
