7-3-2024 (SINGAPORE) In a significant development related to the billion-dollar money laundering case in Singapore, Su Wenqiang, one of the ten individuals charged, has indicated his intention to plead guilty. Su’s decision makes him the first among the group to take this step, while others have hinted at claiming trial in previous court mentions.
A pre-trial conference held in chambers on Thursday (Mar 7) set April 2 as the date for Su Wenqiang’s guilty plea. The 33-year-old, listed as Cambodian in charge sheets but identified as being from Fujian, China, faces a total of 11 charges encompassing money laundering, possessing proceeds from illegal remote gambling offenses, and providing false information to obtain work passes.
Su Wenqiang is accused of having S$601,706 (US$441,000) derived, at least in part, from illegal remote gambling activities. He is also alleged to have used S$500,000 in illegal proceeds to purchase a Mercedes Benz AMG C63S in January 2022. The charges further accuse him of laundering approximately S$477,000 from a Philippines-based illegal remote gambling service by acquiring luxury items and paying for rents of high-end properties.
Additionally, Su is charged with lying in a work pass application and conspiring to obtain a work pass for his wife, Su Yanping. Investigations revealed that Su was wanted in China, where he worked as an executive in a remote lottery business operating from the Philippines and Cambodia. Despite being remanded for over six months since his arrest in August last year, Su has passports from China, Cambodia, and Vanuatu.
The broader case involves nine men and one woman, primarily of Chinese origin, who were apprehended in a police raid. The group is allegedly connected to a remote gambling operation based in the Philippines, targeting Chinese punters. While some were listed in wanted notices in China, they managed to establish operations in Singapore, with some allegedly running shell companies since 2019.
Su Wenqiang is represented by Sameer Amir Melber and Nandwani Manoj Prakash from Gabriel Law Corporation. The progress of the other nine accused in the case indicates that they are still at the pre-trial conference or case management conference stages.
