Felicia Teo case: Suspect's guilty plea adjourned as defence says 'multiple issues to resolve'

SINGAPORE: A court hearing for a suspect who was set to plead guilty in the case of Ms Felicia Teo Wei Ling, who was reported missing in 2007 and later presumed dead, was adjourned on Wednesday (Jul 6).

Speaking to the media, the defence counsel for Ahmad Danial Mohamed Rafa'ee, 37, said that the case was moving to a pre-trial conference for parties to resolve issues.

"Both parties, the defence and prosecution, have multiple issues to resolve including facts, sentencing and documentation," said lawyer Shashi Nathan.

"We are in polar positions for some issues," he told reporters, adding that he wanted time to review the facts of the case.

"However, I am confident that we will be able to resolve matters fruitfully with the prosecution."

Ahmad Danial was originally charged in 2020 with murdering Ms Teo between 1.39am and 7.20am on Jun 30, 2007 at a flat in Block 19, Marine Terrace with suspected accomplice Ragil Putra Setia Sukmarahjana, who is at large.

Last week, he was given a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for the charge of murder, which is a capital offence.

A discharge not amounting to an acquittal means he can still be prosecuted for the murder charge in the future should there be developments in the case, such as the emergence of new evidence.

The murder charge was replaced with charges for six lesser offences instead. At the previous hearing, Mr Nathan had asked for a plead guilty mention for his client to admit to these charges.

Ahmad Danial's current charges include leaving Ms Teo's body around Punggol Track 24 as well as misappropriating her phone and other belongings on or around Jun 30, 2007.

He is also accused of intentionally omitting to give information about Ms Teo's sudden or unnatural death to the police, when he was legally bound to do so.

Ahmad Danial is also suspected of fabricating false evidence by placing Ms Teo's phone near East Coast Park between 7.20am and 8.22am on Jun 30, 2007, purportedly to support false information given to the police that she had gone there.

He allegedly also fabricated false evidence by making calls to Ms Teo's phone, leaving her voicemails and messaging her on social media to create the false impression that he believed she was still alive.

On Jul 11 and Jul 25, 2007, he is suspected of giving false information to two police officers to the effect that Ms Teo had left the Marine Terrace flat on her own on Jun 30, 2007, and that he did not know what happened to her.

Mr Ragil is named as Ahmad Danial's suspected accomplice in all these charges, including the original murder charge. He is at large and believed to be in Indonesia.

Those convicted of depositing a corpse can be jailed for up to six months, fined up to S$2,000 or both.

Anyone who fabricates false evidence can be jailed for up to seven years or fined.

The punishment for misappropriating the property of a dead person is up to three years' jail and a fine.

The penalty for omitting to give information to public servants as required by the law is up to one month's jail and a fine of up to S$500.

Anyone who gives false information to a public servant can be jailed up to six months, fined up to S$1,000 or both.