Money laundering suspect Su Baolin allegedly made millions from illegal gambling sites in Myanmar
UPDATED 2023年12月15日 下午11:03 SGT
SINGAPORE – Money laundering suspect Su Baolin was allegedly involved in operating illegal gambling websites based in Myanmar, with the police saying he made $5 million to $6 million from these sites between 2020 and 2022.
Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) officer Louis Tey Jijie said in an affidavit that Su helped run these sites between 2019 and 2023, and purportedly received his earnings in the form of cryptocurrency.
These sites targeted users in Brazil and China.
This is the first time links have been drawn between gambling sites based in Myanmar and one of the 10 foreigners arrested on Aug 15 in an anti-money laundering probe which saw the police seize $2.8 billion in cash and assets.
The claims were made in court on Dec 15 at Su’s second attempt to be granted bail.
His first application was denied on Sept 6.
Su faces two charges – one for allegedly using a forged document to show he was the executive director of an import-export company, and a second in which he is said to have conspired with former Citibank employee Wang Qiming to make a false document with the intention to cheat Standard Chartered Bank.
The affidavit also revealed that Wang Qiming was investigated by CAD for the forgery-related offences from October 2021, and subsequently arrested. He has been on bail since Nov 16, 2021.
The Government had in October 2023 revealed that money laundering investigations started in 2021, after the authorities became aware of the use of suspected forged documents to substantiate sources of funds in bank accounts in Singapore.
Su was called in to give a statement in relation to the forgery claims in 2021. Mr Tey said that despite the scrutiny, Su allegedly continued to be involved in illicit activities.
In arguing against granting him bail, Mr Tey said the accused is a flight risk as he allegedly holds undisclosed assets abroad and has the means to abscond if released on bail.
The CAD officer said that from early 2023, Su had been directing an individual, “Person A”, allegedly based in Dubai, to transfer cryptocurrency worth more than $5 million into various wallets, some of which were provided by “Person B” – one of Su’s associates.
The associate is said to have then assisted Su to convert the cryptocurrency to physical fiat, a government currency, or make payments via bank transfers on Su’s behalf for his expenses, Mr Tey added.
The CAD officer said: “Within this year, Person B assisted Su to convert approximately $4.7 million worth of cryptocurrency to physical fiat or to make payments on the accused’s behalf in Singapore.”
He added that it demonstrates Su allegedly has means to bring monies from suspicious sources into Singapore.
“His lack of candour on this gives rise to a strong suspicion that there are more instances of such fund movements,” added the investigator.
Mr Tey also pointed out that in Su’s submissions to the court, the accused referred to his condominium in Xiamen, worth $2.1 million, as “pittance to sustain him and his family in the long run”.
“The fact that the accused would refer to $2.1 million as mere ‘pittance’ adds to my belief that he continues to hold undisclosed assets abroad,” said the CAD officer.
During the hearing on Dec 15, Deputy Public Prosecutor Ng Jean Ting told the court the police are considering more charges against Su for money laundering, forgery and falsification of accounts.
The DPP said, citing Mr Tey’s affidavit, that the police have uncovered more instances of forged documents being submitted to banks by Su to explain his sources of wealth.
She added: “The police are looking into the financial statements of one of Su’s companies, Xinbao Investment Holdings, and found that its financial statements and income tax returns are likely falsified to give the impression that the company is profitable.”
In arguing for Su to be released on bail, defence lawyer Sunil Sudheesan said Changi Prison is not able to meet his client’s medical needs.
He said that no gastroscopy has been done for his client more than three months since Su was found to be at high risk of gastric cancer.
Mr Sudheesan said: “A medical report (on Su’s cancer risk) was given to the prosecution on Aug 23. Since then, all the follow-up given to my client is a five-minute appointment with a Changi General Hospital (CGH) gastroenterologist on Dec 11.
“If it were any one of our relatives, we would have been insistent on an early gastroscopy. I am not mincing my words when I say that SPS (Singapore Prison Service) is gambling with the accused person’s life.”
The defence lawyer added that his client, who has congenital heart disease, was not given oxygen therapy on Oct 10 even though his oxygen saturation level fell to 84 per cent.
In response, DPP Ng said that while Su is at risk of gastric cancer, he does not currently suffer from an advanced stage of the disease.
She said: “There is no affidavit from the accused or his doctors to show the immediate need for a gastroscopy.
“Su has been seen by a specialist in CGH, and there is nothing to suggest that the doctor was negligent or flippant in his review of the accused.”
As for the allegations on oxygen therapy, DPP Ng cited an affidavit by SPS chief medical officer Noorul Fatha As’art which states that Su’s oxygen saturation level was recorded at 86 per cent on Oct 9 and Oct 10.
“The need for oxygen therapy did not arise as the accused’s oxygen saturation did not fall below 85 per cent,” the DPP said.
DPP Ng added that Su is being housed in a medical centre, where his vital signs are monitored regularly and he has access to a bedside call bell.
The defence argued that the prosecution had overstated the seriousness of Su’s alleged offences, as the CAD’s investigations since 2021 found “only around $4.7 million (out of the $90 million seized from Su and his wife) allegedly came from an illegal source”.
DPP Ng responded, saying that the CAD is continuing to investigate the seized assets.
As for why former Citibank employee Wang Qiming, who is mentioned in one of Su’s charges, was granted bail, the prosecution said Wang does not appear to have substantial assets at his disposal or affluent foreign connections who may help him abscond.
At the end of the hearing, District Judge Brenda Tan denied Su bail.
She said the accused is a serious flight risk, and there is a risk of collusion between Su Baolin and Su Haijin, another suspect in the money laundering case.
The judge added that she is satisfied the SPS is able to manage Su’s medical conditions safely, and that his conditions are not “exceptional” so as to justify granting bail.
Singapore S$2.8b money laundering case: Suspect with ‘high cancer risk’ denied bail a second time
Saturday, 16 Dec 2023 8:37 AM MYT
SINGAPORE, Dec 16 — One of 10 suspects in a S$2.8 billion (RM9.8 billion) money laundering case has been denied bail a second time as the police presented new allegations he obtained millions of dollars from Myanmar-based illegal gambling websites.
Following an adjournment sought by the prosecution on November 15, Su Baolin returned to court via video-link yesterday where he renewed claims he faces a high risk of gastric cancer.
Su, 42, is facing two charges for allegedly using forged documents to commit fraud.
The prosecution sought the adjournment of Su’s bail review on Nov 15 so it could review the defence’s submissions and to file affidavits, if required, over accusations raised in relation to Su’s health treatment.
The allegations were mainly focused on whether Singapore Prison Service (SPS) could provide adequate care for Su whose counsel claims he faces a “high risk” of gastric cancer.
During the hearing yesterday, defence counsel Sunil Sudheesan brought up a medical report which was submitted to the prosecution in August 2023 that recommended his client go for a follow-up gastroscopy.
Sunil said that he was under the impression that the gastroscopy would have been given to the accused but Su got only a five-minute check with a gastroentrologist.
“This is inadequate care — if it was any one of our relatives, we would have been insistent on the gastroscopy.
“So I am not mincing my words when I say that prisons is gambling with the accused person’s life,” said Sunil.
Responding, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Ng Jean Ting argued that based on the affidavit of the SPS’ chief medical officer, the high risk of gastric cancer was known to them, and they had taken steps to address the medical issues.
“The (alleged) shortcomings are unfounded and do not constitute a material change in circumstances,” said DPP Ng.
She said that SPS would expedite the movement of inmates if necessary and that they remain in the care of medical professionals until they are in the hospital.
“There is nothing to suggest that it would compromise the safety,” added DPP Ng.
When District Judge Brenda Tan asked Sunil if there was any expert opinion to support the defence’s claim that Su was at a high risk of gastric cancer, he said that all he had was the doctor’s gastroscopy recommendation and “common sense”.
“We have lost many people to cancer so we shouldn’t take the risk and we shouldn’t gamble,” said Sunil.
The judge referred to a point in the defence’s submission comparing the time taken to travel from prison to Changi General Hospital (CGH) and from Su’s residence, should he be granted bail, to the National Heart Centre.
She asked Sunil about the relevance of this in a situation where Su would need to get “immediate medical help”.
Sunil clarified that he meant it would take five minutes longer to go from prison to SGH than from Su’s home to the National Heart Centre.
However, the judge reminded Sunil about the hospital’s processing and waiting time, and asked if he had any expert opinion on the five minutes being a matter of life and death.
Sunil responded: “No, but I have known people to die in five minutes.”
Additional charges likely to be tendered
DPP Ng also said that Su is likely to face additional serious charges based on material outlined in the investigative officer’s affidavit filed in court.
These relate to allegations that about US$4.7 million (S$6.25 million) was channelled into Singapore from overseas and more instances of forged documents that were submitted to the banks by Su.
This suggested that the financial statements and income tax returns for one of Su’s companies were likely to be falsified, DPP Ng said.
The affidavit also outlined allegations that Su had been involved in illegal gambling websites based in Myanmar that generated the funds channelled into Singapore.
In delivering her decision to decline bail, the judge agreed with the prosecution that the new facts presented by the investigative officer indicated that Su had far more substantial overseas assets than he has disclosed.
“This would add to his flight risk as he clearly has resources to relocate easily,” she said.
On the point of medical care, the judge said that SPS’ chief medical officer had detailed all the steps taken to ensure Su would be properly cared for.
“He is not placed in a normal cell but carefully housed at Changi Medical Centre where he has a bed and his vital signs are monitored by trained medical professionals with access to a bell when he needs medical assistance.”
Su is set to return to court on January 24, 2024 for a pre-trial conference. — TODAY
以患癌风险等为由 苏宝林再申请保释被拒
发布 /2023年12月15日 09:22 PM
苏宝林的代表律师以当事人有患胃癌风险为由再次申请保释，在庭上也针对监狱只安排被告见专科医生五分钟，而质疑当局是否为被告提供了足够照顾。
涉及28亿元洗钱案的被告苏宝林（42岁），通过柯吴律师事务所刑事部门主管苏呢尔（Sunil Sudheesan）在11月15日向法庭申请保释，但因控方须要时间回应，展期到星期五（12月15日）审理。
海外人士助移470万元加密货币到本地 法官：苏宝林有能力移居海外
法官发表决定时说，苏宝林的潜逃风险仍然存在，且警方进一步的调查显示，有海外人士协助苏宝林把价值470万元的加密货币转移到新加坡。这不仅说明苏宝林拥有的海外资产比他所说的多，有移居海外的能力，也提高了他的潜逃风险。
另外，监狱署医务长在宣誓书详细列出，自苏宝林还押樟宜医疗中心以来，为确保后者得到妥善医疗照顾所采取的措施。法官认为，监狱署有能力为苏宝林提供妥善的医疗照顾，最终驳回苏宝林的保释申请。
根据辩方陈词，苏宝林患有紫绀型先天性心脏病。他在2023年7月4日进行体检时，发现有很高的患胃癌风险，建议他看肠胃科医生，并考虑进一步做胃镜检查。
辩方指出，苏宝林12月11日才在监狱的安排下，到樟宜综合医院见专科医生，且前后不超过五分钟。苏宝林至今仍未接受胃镜检查，说明监狱无法为被告提供足够和适当的照顾。
当法官询问律师是否有医学报告说明苏宝林须要立刻接受胃镜检查，律师回应说：“若有患癌风险就该检查，这是常识。已有很多人因癌症过世，我们不应该冒险，也不应以被告的生命做赌注。”
律师也指，被告住家与最近医院的距离，要比监狱与最近医院的距离来得短，将苏宝林从监狱带出来还得至少多花五分钟。然而，被问及有无证据证明这是生死攸关的五分钟时，律师答道：“没有，但我知道有人在五分钟内去世。”
控方：病情没严重到得保释 若紧急监狱会加速送囚犯入院
控方则回应，监狱署在得知苏宝林的情况后，已安排将他还押在樟宜医疗中心而非普通牢房，24小时有医护人员照看，且苏宝林的病情没有严重和特殊到需要获得保释。
至于苏宝林的患癌风险，监狱也已安排他到樟宜综合医院看诊；关于监狱与医院的距离，当遇到须就医的紧急情况，监狱署会加快速度把囚犯送去医院。辩方没有任何证据显示从监狱送院会危及患者安全，苏宝林所称的缺乏所需药物也不属实。
调查也揭露，苏宝林涉嫌经营设立在缅甸、以中国和巴西赌客为主的非法线上赌博网站。2020年至2022年期间，苏宝林从中赚取500万至600万元的加密货币。
苏宝林也向查案人员称这笔资产从未流入新加坡，但调查显示，苏宝林曾安排他人替他把这笔非法所得的约470万元套现，或代表他在新加坡付款。
然而，辩方不同意查案人员在宣誓书指苏宝林对资金流动一事不坦诚。辩方称，苏宝林配合调查过程，查案人员的中文能力不强，在问话时对苏宝林的话有不同诠释，才认为他不坦诚。若苏宝林获得保释，辩方可安排自己的通译员，在调查时为警方提供协助。
控方也透露，警方在调查苏宝林其中一家公司的财务报表时发现，该公司的收入和应收账款疑被刻意夸大，以伪造公司盈利的假象。警方正考虑对苏宝林加控伪造文件、诈骗和洗钱等相关的罪名。
案件已展期明年1月24日进行审前会议。
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