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Man who conspired to help alleged fraudster Ng Yu Zhi flee from Singapore jailed

The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)
The Singapore State Courts. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore)

SINGAPORE — A man conspired to help alleged billion-dollar nickel trading fraudster Ng Yu Zhi flee from Singapore, even though he was never directly instructed by Ng to do so.

While investigations were ongoing against Ng, Alvin Oey Weizhong, 37, agreed to find a way to help Ng abscond to Malaysia in exchange for a reward of between $50,000 and $100,000.

The money was offered by co-accused Keeren Marcus Phang Guan Wei, who had heard rumours about Ng's intention to abscond from Singapore and roped Oey into the plan.

It is unclear if Ng was actually involved in the plan.

Oey was jailed for 11 months and fined $20,000 on Friday (28 January) after he pleaded guilty to engaging in a conspiracy with Phang and another man, Ding Kuon Chwo, to obstruct the course of justice by assisting Ng to leave Singapore unlawfully. Oey also pleaded guilty to an unrelated charge under the Remote Gambling Act.

Ng charged in March last year, case still pending

On 22 March last year, Ng - a former director of Envy Global Trading and Envy Asset Management - was charged in the State Courts for criminal offences involving fraudulent investment schemes related to nickel trading.

His case is pending and he is still under investigation for 76 charges, including cheating, criminal breach of trust by director and forgery. He is currently out on a $4 million bail.

In April last year, Phang heard rumours about an “Envy car shop boss” intending to abscond from Singapore after he ran into trouble with the law, and that a hefty financial reward was being offered to facilitate this. Phang suspected that the “boss” was Ng.

He called Oey to check if he was able to help someone escape from Singapore to Malaysia. He offered a reward of $50,000 to $100,000 to Oey, who agreed to help.

Oey then called Ding in April last year, instructing him to find a way to transport a person out of Singapore to Malaysia illegally. Ding also agreed to help.

Around two weeks later, Oey learned from Phang that Ng was the subject they were planning to help. He also realised that Ng’s criminal case had been reported in the news.

Scheme to transport person out via Batam, then to Malaysia

A few days later, Ding told Oey that he managed to find someone who could help transport a person illegally across borders - first by boat from Singapore to Batam, then from Batam to Malaysia.

Oey eventually revealed to Ding the identity of the fugitive, but Ding still agreed to help.

Later, Phang told Oey that he had trouble contacting Ng. When Oey still did not hear from Phang, Oey decided to contact Ng himself but was unsuccessful in doing so.

“The accused failed to reach Ng and did not communicate with or make known to him about the plans that he had been making for Ng to leave Singapore unlawfully,” said Deputy Public Prosecutor Tay Zhi Jie.

Phang's case is fixed for a plead guilty mention on 9 March, while Ding's case will be mentioned again on 16 February.

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