27-6-2024 (ASINGAPORE) The tragic case of Singaporean Audrey Fang, who was brutally killed in Spain in April, has taken a somber turn as two of her friends testified before a Spanish court, shedding light on her relationship with the suspected killer, Mitchell Ong. According to reports from Spanish media outlet La Verdad on June 27, the friends revealed that Fang harbored romantic interests in Ong, whom she had met through a social dating network.
Speaking through a translator via a video call from Singapore on June 26, the unidentified friends painted a picture of an “on and off” relationship between Fang and Ong, which they had been aware of since at least 2014. However, their testimony suggested that Ong’s interest in Fang appeared to be primarily financial, as he was keen to sell her various investment products.
The 43-year-old Singaporean had sold two of her investment-linked policies in 2015 when Ong was working as an insurance agent with AIA. Ong had previously claimed to be a financial expert on his now-defunct website, boasting clients that included chief executives and celebrities.
The grim details surrounding Fang’s murder have cast a dark shadow over the case. On April 10, her body was discovered near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla, approximately 150 kilometers from the hotel she was staying in. Ong, who was residing in a separate hotel, was arrested in his room, where numerous items belonging to the victim, including her mobile phone, were found. Fang had sustained 30 stab wounds and other injuries, according to reports.
Manuel Martinez, the Spanish lawyer representing Fang’s family, confirmed that the witnesses were close friends of the victim. He revealed that Fang had confided in them about her relationship with Ong and her plans to meet him during her holiday in Spain. However, the friends stated that they did not personally know Ong.
According to Martinez, Fang’s friends testified that she had expressed a desire to introduce Ong to her family members, but he had refused to meet them. This revelation has added another layer of complexity to the case, as Spain’s Civil Guard investigates a possible “economic” motive behind the killing.
In a shocking development, it was revealed in early June that Ong had been nominated as the sole beneficiary for Fang’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) account, which reportedly held $498,000. Six months before her untimely demise, Fang had deposited nearly $200,000 from her investment-linked products into her CPF accounts.
Martinez has stated that if Ong is convicted of murder after trial, he will seek a jail term of between 20 and 25 years, and possibly reviewable life imprisonment. However, Ong has opted to remain silent during the investigations, invoking his right not to testify in court.
