Case of man accused of Covid-19 scam postponed as he falls sick
A 40-year-old man who was to face charges over allegations that he had laundered more than $10 million in a Covid-19 scam had his case postponed after coming down with a fever.
Defence lawyer Thong Chee Kun told the court yesterday that his client, Thye Wee Boon, has to take a swab test.
His case has been adjourned to March 3.
Thye was to have faced 19 charges for offences including dealing with the benefits of criminal activities.
LARGEST
To date, the authorities have managed to recover more than $6.4 million of the amount taken in the ruse - the largest single recovery since the formation of the Singapore Police Force's (SPF) anti-scam centre, which was set up in June 2019.
The police were alerted in March last year that a French pharmaceutical company had been scammed of €6.636 million (S$10.64 million).
According to the European Union's law enforcement agency Europol, a suspect had taken the identity of a legitimate company and advertised the fast delivery of surgical masks and hand sanitisers.
"Once the pharmaceutical company transferred the funds to a bank in Singapore, the items were never delivered and the supplier became uncontactable," said the agency in a statement.
It added that the EU authorities informed their Singaporean counterparts and asked them to act swiftly.
"Having previously received a Suspicious Transaction Report from the recipient bank, Singaporean authorities were able to block part of the payment and identify the man who had received the funds, and subsequently arrested him on March 25 (2020)," said Europol.
Singapore police said Thye's identity was established by the Commercial Affairs Department and he was arrested on his return to Singapore on March 25 last year. - THE STRAITS TIMES
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