13-5-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a chilling twist to the gruesome murder of Singaporean Audrey Fang during her Spanish sojourn, authorities are delving into a potential economic incentive behind the heinous act. A judge in Spain has requested access to banking and insurance records from Singapore, as investigators peel back the layers of this perplexing case.
Mitchell Ong, the 43-year-old suspect arrested on April 16th in connection with Fang’s stabbing death, finds himself in the crosshairs of an extensive financial probe. The court has sought the assistance of Singaporean authorities, requesting the disclosure of banking information – including fund movements and account details – pertaining to both the accused and the victim.
The judge’s request comes on the heels of a crucial discovery: a Central Provident Fund (CPF) nomination note, dated March 24th, found on Fang’s iPad. The note revealed her intent to nominate an unnamed individual as the beneficiary of her CPF savings, citing a longstanding friendship and a loan of US$50,000 (S$68,000) extended due to their bond.
CPF, Singapore’s mandatory social security savings scheme, distributes the deceased’s contributions to designated nominees upon their demise, rendering this revelation particularly pertinent to the investigation.
Extending the inquiry further, the judge has also demanded details of Fang’s life insurance policies, including funds, assets, and beneficiaries, from Singaporean authorities. Queries have been raised regarding Ong’s potential criminal history in the island nation, if any.
The Spanish Consulate has been instructed to facilitate the court’s request, ensuring the rapid procurement of the requested information.
In response to media inquiries, the CPF Board has affirmed its commitment to investigating any circumstances that may undermine the validity of a nomination. If contested posthumously, the distribution of the deceased’s CPF savings will be withheld until comprehensive investigations are concluded, and any invalid nominations will be superseded by earlier nominations or intestacy laws.
The Singapore Police Force has assured its continued cooperation with Spanish counterparts, acknowledging the incident’s occurrence on foreign soil while pledging necessary assistance within legal bounds.
A disconcerting revelation surfaced last month when Fang’s family uncovered two investment-linked insurance policies she had purchased from Ong in 2015, prompting them to verify whether he had been named a beneficiary with Singaporean authorities.
Ong, a Singaporean national like his alleged victim, remains in pre-trial detention at Sangonera prison in Murcia. Under Spanish law, he can be held for up to two years pending trial, with a potential extension of another two years for grave offenses.
Despite three court appearances since his arrest, Ong has yet to be formally charged by the Public Prosecutor’s Office, as the police report remains incomplete – a process that could span months, according to sources privy to the investigation.
During a recent court hearing, while the lawyer representing Fang’s family pressed for a murder charge, the defense countered that such a classification was premature without the finalized police report.
Ong’s detention was predicated on his perceived flight risk, given his status as a tourist without local ties or familial connections in Alicante, where he was apprehended, or Abanilla, the location where Fang’s body, bearing 30 stab wounds, was discovered.
Compounding the investigation’s complexity, Ong has exercised his legal right to remain silent, refusing to provide a statement to authorities – a decision that has stalled proceedings, according to investigators who remain perplexed by the elusive motive.
