Chinese suspect to plead guilty in Singapore’s multibillion-dollar money-laundering case

He is the first in the group to make such an indication, with several others stating through their lawyers in previous court mentions that they would likely be claiming trial.

A date for Su Wenqiang to plead guilty was set for April 2, after a pre-trial conference was held in chambers on Thursday.

Authorities have seized more than S$2.8 billion (US$2.1 billion) in assets including gold bars, jewellery, 62 cars and 152 properties. The tally may rise, with many suspects still on the loose.

Su, 33, is listed as Cambodian in charge sheets but his passport states that he is from Fujian, China.

He faces a total of 11 charges, a mix of money-laundering, possessing proceeds from illegal remote gambling offences and lying to get work passes for himself and his wife.

The charges accuse Su of:

Having S$601,706 (US$441,000) that comes at least in part from illegal remote gambling offences

Laundering about S$477,000 in illicit proceeds from the Philippines-based illegal remote gambling service by buying luxury bags, jewellery, liquor and paying for rents of luxury houses and condominium units

Lying in an application for an employment pass in February 2022 that he would be employed as a sales director by Fleur Business Service

Conspiring with another person to obtain a work pass for his wife, Su Yanping

He has been remanded for more than six months since his arrest in August last year.

The group of nine men and one woman, mostly originally from China, were caught in an island-wide raid by police.

The broader case revolves around a remote gambling operation based in the Philippines, targeting punters in China.

Some of the suspects were listed in wanted notices in China, but managed to set up shop in Singapore, with some running alleged shell