SINGAPORE: A 50-year-old man has been charged with the murder of a 41-year-old man, who was found unconscious at a Housing and Development Board (HDB) void deck in Clementi on Monday.

According to CNA, the accused, Toh Chee Hong, appeared via video link in district court on 23 October, dressed in a red polo shirt and sporting dishevelled hair. If convicted, he faces the death penalty.

Following a request from the prosecution, Toh will be remanded for one week, with permission to be taken out for investigations, referred to as “scene revisitation,” in order to recover additional evidence.

Toh, who understood the court proceedings in English, requested that the prosecution’s request be repeated before responding with “okay.”

The incident occurred around 5 p.m. on Monday at Block 311B Clementi Avenue 4, prompting alerts to the police and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Toh was detained at the scene and subsequently arrested, while the 41-year-old victim was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, where he later died.

Preliminary investigations by the police revealed that both individuals were known to each other.

PA: alleged suspect is not a member of any PA grassroots organisation

Earlier, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported that the two men were involved in grassroots activities of the Trivelis Residents’ Network, which serves the Trivelis estate in Clementi Avenue 4.

The victim, identified by The Straits Times as Mr Winson Khoo, was recognised as a grassroots volunteer by the People’s Association (PA), which expressed sadness over his death.

The PA announced that Mr Khoo’s wake would begin on 23 October and urged the public not to share graphic footage or images of the incident.

While initial reports suggested that Toh was also involved in grassroots activities within the same network, the PA clarified that this was inaccurate.

“We would have preferred to clarify this only after the police have formally charged the suspect and released his identity,” it stated.

“But to prevent the public from being further misled by this inaccuracy, we have decided to clarify the matter quickly.”

According to Zaobao, some residents indicated that the two had a history of disputes, with the suspect being known for frequent arguments.

On the afternoon of 21 October, shouts and screams shattered the peace of the estate as the suspect allegedly attacked the victim.

Residents reported witnessing the incident, which unfolded at the pick-up point between blocks 311B and 311C, directly in front of the Trivelis Residents’ Network office.

The victim had tripped near a drain about 20 metres away from the office when he was reportedly attacked by the suspect.

A woman, believed to be Mr Khoo’s wife, screamed during the assault as he lay on the ground. Witnesses stated that the attacker later turned his attention to the woman, chasing her as she fled in terror.

The woman sought refuge in a pre-school located at Block 311C. After the attack, the suspect walked to his black car at the pick-up point and drove into the multi-storey carpark, where he allegedly reversed repeatedly into another vehicle.

He was apprehended by the police as he was attempting to exit the carpark.

SINGAPORE: Liu Kai, a Chinese national and former relationship manager at Swiss private bank Julius Baer, is set to plead guilty to abetting one of the convicts in the S$3 billion money laundering case by using a forged document.

The charge relates to Liu’s assistance to Lin Baoying, the only woman convicted in the case, who submitted a forged tax document in November 2020.

According to police statements, Liu allegedly received various alterations of the forged document from Lin before submitting the final version to the bank as a supporting document to facilitate the opening of a bank account in Switzerland.

During the court proceedings on 23 October, Liu’s defence counsel, Anthony Wong of Lee & Lee, indicated that Liu is “prepared to take a certain course, subject to resolving certain issues with prosecution pertaining to ongoing investigations and the current charge.”

The prosecution noted that the Commercial Affairs Department of the police is still conducting investigations into Liu, having recently received new information.

Liu is currently out on bail of S$15,000. His next court appearance is scheduled for a pre-trial conference on 22 November.

In addition to Liu, two other individuals have been charged in connection with the S$3 billion money laundering case.

Liew Yik Kit, 41, the personal driver to Cambodian national Su Binghai, who fled during the investigation and is wanted for alleged money laundering offences, was handed two charges on 15 August this year: one for lying to the police and another for obstructing the course of justice.

Liew, being a first Singaporean charged in this case, has indicated his intention to plead guilty to the charge related to lying to the police.

Liew allegedly informed the police that he did not possess any valuables belonging to Su Binghai, despite having four luxury cars belonging to the businessman, including a Rolls-Royce Phantom and a Ferrari F8 Spider.

The third individual, Wang Qiming, received 10 charges on 15 August, which include forging a document, abetting forgery, possessing laundered sums, and obstructing the course of justice.

Wang, 26, a former relationship manager at Citibank, is alleged to have lied to an officer from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority.

A spokesperson for Citibank confirmed that Wang has not been employed by the bank since April 2022 and stated that the bank does not comment on matters currently before the courts.

Affidavits produced during the hearings of the ten foreigners indicated that Wang was first investigated over alleged forgery claims before his arrest in 2021.

Liew is currently out on bail of S$15,000 and is scheduled to appear in court on 14 November, while Wang was granted bail of S$25,000 and will return to court on 6 November.

Dismissed Philippine mayor allegedly tied to convicts in Singapore’s S$3B money laundering case

Lin Baoying, who was sentenced to 15 months in jail on 30 May for one count of money laundering and two counts of fraudulently using a forged document, was deported to Cambodia in June after completing her sentence, and is barred from re-entering Singapore.

The other nine individuals convicted in the case have also been deported following the completion of their sentences. All ten foreigners, who are of Fujian origin, were arrested by Singapore authorities on 15 August 2023, and assets, including properties and luxury cars, were confiscated.

Lin Baoying, along with Zhang Ruijin, another Chinese national convicted in the S$3 billion money laundering case, are currently named in charges filed in the Philippines against former mayor Alice Guo.

They, along with 11 others, are accused of human trafficking, forcing dozens of individuals to work for a firm conducting scam operations. Lin’s current whereabouts remain unclear following her deportation from Singapore.