4-12-2024 (SINGAPORE) A former Singaporean business tycoon and his spouse have been apprehended in Malaysia, concluding a remarkable 19-year manhunt linked to a $72 million embezzlement scandal that rocked the nation’s corporate sector in the early 2000s.
Ng Teck Lee, 58, the former chief executive of Citiraya Industries, and his wife Thor Chwee Hwa, 55, were detained in Johor Bahru on 3 December by Malaysian authorities before being transferred to Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB).
The couple’s arrest marks the culmination of one of Singapore’s most significant white-collar crime investigations. Ng, who headed the once-prominent electronics recycling firm, allegedly orchestrated an elaborate scheme involving the illegal resale of electronic components that were meant for destruction.
Citiraya, which served industry giants including Intel, AMD, and Infineon, was contracted to recycle electronic waste and recover precious metals. However, investigators claim Ng diverted pristine electronic components to syndicates in Taiwan and Hong Kong, where they were repackaged and sold as new products.
The fraudulent operation was exposed in December 2004 when Taiwanese police discovered a semiconductor chip from a US client that had been earmarked for destruction. Subsequent investigations revealed that Ng had allegedly misappropriated 89 tonnes of electronic waste across 62 separate shipments between 2003 and 2004.
According to court documents, Ng reportedly disbursed nearly $2 million in bribes to employees and client representatives to facilitate the scheme. The investigation has already resulted in the conviction of 12 individuals, who received sentences ranging from eight months to eight years’ imprisonment.
The couple fled Singapore in January 2005 as investigations intensified, reportedly assuming multiple false identities to evade capture. Their disappearance prompted international arrest warrants and Interpol Red Notices, marking them as wanted persons globally.
In 2011, Singapore authorities seized approximately $23 million in assets from the couple, including bank accounts, insurance policies, company shareholdings, and proceeds from property sales. The seizure remains the largest ever executed by CPIB against an individual.
Vincent Lim, CPIB’s director of investigations, praised the international cooperation that led to the arrest: “This breakthrough demonstrates the effectiveness of cross-border law enforcement collaboration and sends a clear message that corruption will not be tolerated in Singapore, regardless of time elapsed.”
Ng faces charges of criminal breach of trust, while his wife will be prosecuted under Singapore’s anti-corruption and serious crimes legislation. Both defendants are scheduled to appear in court on 4 December.
The company at the centre of the scandal, Citiraya Industries, underwent significant restructuring following the incident. It was renamed Centillion Environment and Recycling in 2006 before eventually becoming Metech International in 2012 following a merger with a US firm.
