Two 'close friends' of Singaporean woman killed in Spain to testify in court

SINGAPORE: Two close friends of Ms Audrey Fang, the Singaporean woman who was killed in Spain in April, will soon give witness statements in court.

"We have spoken to the two witnesses and they were close friends with my sister," Ms Fang's brother Benjamin Fang, 35, told CNA. "Everything they know about the link between my sister and the suspect (Mitchell Ong has) been disclosed to us."

Ms Fang's body was found with 30 stab wounds in the Spanish municipality of Abanilla. The 39-year-old had been on a solo trip when she was reported missing. Ong, a 43-year-old Singaporean, was arrested around a week later after camera footage showed her being picked up from her hotel in a car driven by him.

Earlier this month, Mr Fang's lawyer, Manuel Martinez, told CNA that the judge in Spain has agreed to two witness statements from Singaporeans who "can prove that Audrey and (Ong) have been involved in the case". 

He said the two witnesses can speak about the relationship between Ong and Ms Fang - "whether it was friendship or sentimental".

The witnesses will testify by videoconference at the end of June. 

CPF BENEFICIARY

Following a report by Spanish media, Mr Fang confirmed that his sister had nominated Ong to be the beneficiary of her Central Provident Fund (CPF), a mandatory social security savings scheme.

She made the nomination in person in October last year, about six months before she was found dead.

Around the time Ms Fang nominated Ong as her beneficiary, almost S$200,000 (US$148,000) was deposited into her CPF account. Mr Martinez said Ms Fang's CPF has more than €430,000 (US$462,000).

The CPF Board told Mr Fang that his sister's savings will not be distributed until the court case in Spain concludes. Additionally, CPF said the money will not go to Ong if he is convicted.

Mr Martinez said the Civil Guard, a national police force in Spain, has been able to prove that Ong and Ms Fang were together on the day she died. They analysed camera footage and studied fingerprints on the soles of Ong's shoes, he said.

"In my capacity as counsel for Audrey's family, I will request a custodial sentence of 20 to 25 years, without ruling out revisable permanent imprisonment, for the crime of murder because to date and pending further investigation, I can prove the existence of malice aforethought and malice aforethought in the actions of Ong," he said.

Mr Martinez added that Ong has exercised his right not to testify and has not explained the evidence against him. He remains in pre-trial detention because the judge found there was "sufficient circumstantial evidence to hold him allegedly responsible for Audrey's death".

"In addition to the evidence, there is a risk of flight, a risk of destruction of evidence," said the family's lawyer.

When more details become available, Mr Fang said he plans to contest the nomination of Ong as his sister's CPF beneficiary. He is currently working with a law firm to obtain a Letter of Probate to manage his sister's assets.

That will allow him to look into her past records as well, but this could take three to five months, he said.

VICTIM IS "DIRECT OPPOSITE" OF SUSPECT

When Ms Fang travelled to Spain alone, she told her family that she might be meeting a former colleague during her trip but did not give further details. She stopped responding to messages from her family on Apr 9 and never boarded her flight home.

On Apr 10, she was found dead at a location around 150km away from her hotel in Javea.

Mr Fang had never heard of Ong before he was arrested and did not know what his sister's relationship with the suspect was.

In late April, Ms Fang's family discovered that she had bought insurance from the suspect.

Besides working at insurer AIA in the past, reports emerged that Ong owned several businesses. Singapore news platform 8world reported that he lived in a condominium in Bukit Timah and got married in 2012.

On Instagram, he posted pictures at overseas raves and of himself in various gyms. 

"I was indeed surprised that she seemed to have a close relationship with such a person," Mr Fang said. "My sister was a down-to-earth, stay home kind of woman. The suspect is apparently the direct opposite."

He added that he was very angry and sad when he found out that his sister had nominated Ong as her CPF beneficiary. 

"My sister had trusted this person so much," said Mr Fang, referring to the suspect. "I have no clue as to why she would nominate him to be the beneficiary."

CPF savings are given to a person's nominee or nominees when an account holder dies.

If no nomination is made, the money will be handed to the Public Trustee's Office to be distributed to family members.

Mr Fang said he believed that his sister did not have a nominee before Ong. "By law, (the beneficiary) would be my father as she is not married," he added.

"But I have to accept the facts so that I can better prepare my family and myself for the next course of action to contest the nomination."