17-5-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a pivotal turn of events, a Spanish judge has granted authorisation for the extraction of data from the mobile phone belonging to Mitchell Ong, the prime suspect in the brutal slaying of Singaporean national Audrey Fang. This crucial decision stems from the belief that the phone’s contents could shed light on the harrowing crime that has gripped the international community.
The 43-year-old Ong was apprehended on the 16th of April, accused of the heinous murder of Ms. Fang while she was holidaying in Spain. Her lifeless body, bearing the horrific marks of 30 stab wounds, was discovered on the 10th of April, near a parking area for lorries in the municipality of Abanilla, sending shockwaves through the tight-knit Singaporean community.
According to a report published by the esteemed Spanish news outlet La Verdad on Thursday, the 16th of May, the judge’s ruling is substantiated by the mounting array of evidence that directly implicates Ong as the perpetrator of this abhorrent crime. However, the data to be extracted from Ong’s phone will be strictly limited to information deemed relevant to the case at hand.
Furthermore, the judge has requested the cloning of hard drives belonging to both the suspect and the victim, underscoring the meticulous nature of the investigation and the pursuit of every possible lead.
The collected data will be meticulously analyzed by investigators, who will then prepare a comprehensive report to be presented at a hearing scheduled for the forthcoming week.
In expounding upon the rationale behind this ruling, the judge reportedly asserted that the court is not grappling with mere suspicion, but rather, confronted with clear evidence and objective indications of the suspect’s involvement in this tragic affair.
Such damning evidence encompasses security camera footage and data provided by telecommunications operators, which have cast an increasingly ominous shadow over Ong’s proclaimed innocence.
Previous reports have revealed that a vehicle rented by Ong was captured on closed-circuit television at the very location where Ms. Fang’s brutalized body was discovered, further compounding the severity of the allegations against him.
Moreover, La Verdad has reported that the soles of the €935 (US$1,000) limited edition Nike sneakers found in Ong’s hotel room bore an uncanny resemblance to the footprints discovered at the crime scene, adding yet another layer of circumstantial evidence to this intricate case.
Earlier this week, the Spanish court requested the release of Ms. Fang’s and Ong’s banking and insurance information from Singaporean authorities, including funds movements and accounts opened. This comprehensive request was deemed “especially relevant” in light of a Central Provident Fund (CPF) nomination note dated the 24th of March, which was uncovered on Ms. Fang’s iPad.
The note revealed Ms. Fang’s decision to nominate an unknown individual for her CPF monies, citing the person as her “long-time friend and trusted confidant.” Compounding the gravity of this revelation, Ms. Fang’s family discovered two investment-linked insurance policies that she had purchased from Ong in 2015.
