2 charged over alleged involvement in posting of bail for man who subsequently absconded
Long Zhihua, a 39-year-old Chinese national, was a member of a housebreaking syndicate and is facing charges of housebreaking and possession of stolen property.
SINGAPORE – Two men were charged in court on July 22 over their alleged involvement in the posting of bail for a man involved in a housebreaking case who subsequently absconded.
The fugitive is named in court documents as
Long Zhihua, a 39-year-old Chinese national, who was a member of a housebreaking syndicate and is facing charges of housebreaking and possession of stolen property.
Long was arrested after he allegedly broke into a Windsor Park Road house on June 21, 2024, and made off with more than $570,000 worth of jewellery together with an accomplice.
On July 22, Wilson Ang, 41, and Wai Kei Fung, 25, were handed one obstruction of justice charge each, and one each related to entering into an agreement to indemnify against any liability, which is an offence under the Criminal Procedure Code.
Ang, a Singaporean, was also handed a further charge over providing false information to a public servant.
In a press release, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) said that on April 1, Ang had allegedly posed as a bailor for a 39-year-old man who is named in court documents as Long Zhihua.
Ang allegedly did so for money and did not know Long.
Top stories
Swipe. Select. Stay informed.
Singapore S'poreans aged 21 to 59 can claim $600 SG60 vouchers from July 22
Singapore LTA seeks tailored solutions to improve Bukit Panjang LRT's maintenance inspections
Opinion Singapore's vaping crisis lays bare the drug addiction nightmare for parents
Multimedia 'It's very sad': She comforts loved ones turned away by inmates
Opinion Sumiko at 61: 7 facts about facial skin ageing, and skincare ingredients that actually work
World Trump 'caught off guard' by Israel's strikes in Syria
Singapore Ports and planes: The 2 Singapore firms helping to keep the world moving
He is said to have entered into an illegal agreement with a third party to indemnify himself against any losses if Long failed to comply with his bail conditions.
Wai, a Malaysian, purportedly abetted this agreement by couriering the bail in cash to Ang to facilitate the posting of bail.
Ang allegedly acted as a surety to a bail bond for Long to the sum of $30,000, leading to Long's release from remand in prison.
After bail was posted, Wai allegedly drove to the prison, picked Long up and took him to a hotel. Wai purportedly paid for a room at the hotel to house Long.
Subsequently, Ang allegedly lodged a police report falsely claiming he had maintained regular contact with Long before eventually losing contact with him, in an attempt to deny involvement in the matter.
Long then absconded while on bail and failed to attend a court hearing for charges in relation to his case. The State Courts has issued a warrant of arrest against him, said the police, adding that it is working with foreign law enforcement counterparts to trace his whereabouts.
On July 22, Ang and Wai, who were in remand, attended the hearing in court via video-link.
A police prosecutor submitted for no bail for Wai, saying that he had facilitated Long to jump bail and because he is a foreigner with high flight risk.
Ang was offered bail of $15,000.
Their cases were adjourned to Aug 18 for the completion of investigations.
If convicted of obstructing the course of justice, an offender can be jailed for up to seven years, fined or both.
Those found guilty of entering into an agreement to indemnify against any liability, can be jailed for up to three years, fined or both.
The offence of providing false information with intent to cause a public servant to omit any action if the true state of facts were known by him, carries a maximum punishment of two years' jail, a fine, or both.
SPF said it take a serious view of acts that interfere with the administration of justice, and that offenders will be dealt with in accordance with the law.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
South Korean YouTuber indicted with murder over late-term abortion video
Find out what's new on ST website and app. Kwon uploaded the video saying she had received an abortion at 36 weeks, considered full-term under medical guidelines. A South Korean YouTuber who posted a video detailing what she said was an abortion at 36 weeks of pregnancy , and the doctors who performed it, have been indicted for murder. South Korea's Supreme Prosecutors' Office said on July 24 that it has indicted three on murder charges in connection with the death of the baby: a hospital director surnamed Yoon, a surgeon surnamed Shim and the YouTuber surnamed Kwon. Two brokers who introduced patients to the hospital were charged with violating the Medical Service Act. According to the prosecutors, the baby was allegedly born alive through a caesarean operation and later placed in a freezer. 'We will do our utmost to ensure that all profits obtained through this crime are fully confiscated, to send a strong message against such inhumane acts driven by financial gain and a disregard for life,' the prosecutors said in a statement. The case came to public attention in June 2024 when Kwon uploaded the video saying she had received an abortion at 36 weeks, considered full-term under medical guidelines. The South Korean police found that the baby was still alive when it was removed, and the hospital director and surgeon then allegedly placed the newborn under a surgical drape and put it into a freezer, where it died. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia Live: Thai-Cambodia border clash Asia At least 2 Thai civilians killed as Thai and Cambodian militaries clash at disputed border Singapore Boy, 15, charged after being caught with vapes 5 times; ordered to stay 2 years in S'pore Boys' Home Business MOM probing work injury claim flagged by late Sumo Salad boss Jane Lee: MOS Dinesh Business New tie-up offers insurance savings for SMEs committed to workers' health and well-being Singapore What's key to a good life? Most Singapore residents choose emotional and mental well-being Singapore Over 2 years' jail for man who worked with wife to cheat her then-boyfriend of $220k Asia South Korea police raid offices of BTS' agency Hybe over share probe Prosecutors said hospital staff attempted to conceal the incident by falsifying Kwon's medical records. They allegedly recorded symptoms such as abdominal pain and bleeding to make it look like a stillbirth. A false diagnosis was also allegedly issued. The investigation also uncovered a wider illegal abortion scheme. From August 2022 to July 2023, the hospital allegedly performed over 500 illegal abortions arranged through brokers, earning nearly 1.5 billion won (S$1.40 million) in total. Abortion remains in a legal grey area in South Korea. In April 2019, South Korea's Constitutional Court ruled the country's criminalisation of all abortions unconstitutional. However, the South Korean National Assembly has yet to enact a new law governing abortions to legalise it. THE KOREAN HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
Myanmar junta claims recapture of gold mining hub
Find out what's new on ST website and app. This mark the junta's second declared recapture of a key town in a week. YANGON - Myanmar's junta claimed on July 24 to have ousted anti-coup rebels from a gold mining hub after a year-long battle, its second declared recapture of a key town in a week. A civil war has consumed Myanmar since a 2021 coup deposed the civilian government , with the military battling a myriad of pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic armed organisations. Scattered anti-coup forces initially struggled to make headway, but won a string of stunning victories – mostly in the north – when many banded together for a coordinated offensive starting late 2023. In 2025, the junta's China and Russia-backed forces have clawed back ground on the northern front and state media said its soldiers managed 'to fully retake' the town of Thabeikkyin on July 23. Thabeikkyin is about 100km north of the second most populous city of Mandalay and a lucrative hive of gold mining. State mouthpiece The Global New Light of Myanmar said an anti-coup alliance attacked Thabeikkyin with 'overwhelming strength' in August 2024, but its counteroffensive retook the town after 17 major battles. The junta on July 17 said it had recaptured the northeastern town of Nawnghkio on another key highway towards Mandalay city, fending allied rebels back further into the fringes of the country. Earlier this week, guerrillas said they ambushed a junta flotilla of five ships sailing up the Irrawaddy River north of Mandalay – another apparent sign of the military's renewed regional offensive. With control of Thabeikkyin and Nawnghkio, junta forces control two flanks of the town of Mogok – the renowned centre of Myanmar's ruby mining industry which rebel forces claimed last summer. Mines excavating precious metals, gemstones and rare earth elements are coveted by all factions in Myanmar's civil war, allowing them to fill their coffers and fund their offensives. Some 3.5 million people are living displaced amid the war, according to the United Nations, while more than half the nation of around 50 million now lives in poverty. AFP
Straits Times
24 minutes ago
- Straits Times
American Airlines flight attendant who filmed girls in lavatory is sentenced to more than 18 years
Find out what's new on ST website and app. CHARLOTTE, North Carolina – A former American Airlines flight attendant who used his mobile phone to secretly record girls as they used the lavatory on flights was sentenced on July 23 to 18½ years in prison, federal prosecutors said. From January 2023 to September 2023, the flight attendant, Estes Carter Thompson III, of Charlotte, North Carolina, secretly filmed girls using lavatories on American Airlines flights, the US attorney's office for the District of Massachusetts said in a sentencing memo. He would direct them to specific lavatories where he set up 'a secret recording studio' using his cellphone, the memo said. 'He robbed five young girls of their innocence and belief in the goodness of the world and the people they would encounter in it, instead leaving them with fear, mistrust, insecurity and sadness,' Ms Leah Foley, the US attorney for the District of Massachusetts, wrote in the sentencing memo. Federal prosecutors recommended a sentence of 20 years in prison, with five years of supervised release. Ms Elianna J. Nuzum, the assistant US attorney who prosecuted the case, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mr Scott Lauer, a lawyer for Thompson, recommended a sentence of 15 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release, citing his substance abuse, mental health issues and lack of a criminal history. Thompson was arrested in January 2024 and pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of attempted sexual exploitation of children and one count of possession of child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor, federal prosecutors said. In handing down the sentence, Judge Julia Kobick called Thompson's behaviour 'appalling' and said the victims' 'innocence has been lost' because of his actions, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Judge Kobick recommended that Thompson serve his sentence at a federal prison in Butner, North Carolina, and that he participate in substance abuse and sex offender treatment programmes. Thompson was also sentenced to five years supervised release after he completes his prison sentence. According to AP, Thompson apologised in court on July 23 and said his actions were 'selfish, perverse and wrong'. Hidden iPhone According to prosecutors' sentencing memo, Thompson was working as a flight attendant on an American Airlines flight to Boston from Charlotte on Sept 2, 2023, when he tried to record a 14-year-old girl using the lavatory during the flight. The girl was waiting for a lavatory in the main cabin when Thompson told her she could use the first-class bathroom and escorted her to the front of the plane. He informed her that the toilet seat in the lavatory was broken. The girl noticed red stickers on the underside of the toilet seat lid that read 'INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT' with 'SEAT BROKEN' handwritten on one of the stickers. It was not until after she used the toilet and went to flush that she noticed an iPhone with its flashlight on underneath the stickers, according to court documents. The girl took a picture of the phone and told her parents, who told the crew. Her father confronted Thompson, who took his phone into a lavatory and restored the device to factory settings, wiping it clean, the document said. In searching Thompson's iCloud account, investigators found evidence of four additional episodes in which Thompson recorded a minor using the lavatory on American Airlines flights in 2023, the document said. They also found 50 images of a sixth child who flew as an unaccompanied minor on a flight in July 2023. Those included pictures of the child sleeping and of her clothed buttocks, as well as hundreds of images depicting child sexual abuse that were generated by artificial intelligence. Investigators also found 11 'INOPERATIVE CATERING EQUIPMENT' stickers in Thompson's suitcase, along with numerous copies of American Airlines forms pertaining to unaccompanied minors, the documents said. Thompson was immediately removed from service after the September flight, American Airlines said after his arrest. NYTIMES
