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While the misuse of technology can lead to millions being stolen with a few keystrokes, updated technology has also helped prosecutors find the proverbial needle in the haystack or digital evidence.
In addition to staying abreast of cutting-edge technology, prosecutors at the Attorney General’s Office (AGC), in complex cases, have engaged fellow law enforcement officers at a very early stage in investigations.
“This has been done in numerous cases, such as, most recently, in the Hin Leong case where prosecution began in a much shorter time than usual for cases of such scale and complexity,” an AGC spokesperson told The Straits Times.
Earlier this month, mogul Lim Oon Kuin, founder and chairman of oil trader Hin Leong Trading, was charged with aiding and abetting forgery for the purpose of cheating.
The AGC spokesman said crimes of such complexity often take time to investigate.
“However, we have been able to significantly shorten the time required to initiate prosecution by taking advantage of technology and our close partnership with law enforcement agencies such as the Department of Business Affairs and the Office of Corrupt Practices Investigation, as well as the Monetary Authority of Singapore, “she said.
These agencies and the AGC Crime Division use technology to process and search large amounts of data, sometimes hundreds of thousands of files, quickly.
“In some cases, we have seen firsthand how technology helped us find the needle in the haystack,” the spokesperson said, adding that the office strives to keep up with the latest technology for this reason.
Other complex cases that AGC and its law enforcement colleagues have worked on include matters related to 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) and the Wirecard scandal.
The 1MDB scandal was described as Singapore’s largest and most complex money laundering case, with US officials claiming that $ 3.5 billion (S $ 4.75 billion) was missing from Malaysia’s state fund. Here, two private Swiss banks were ordered to close and assets were seized, among other things.
In connection with the Wirecard case, the director of a Singapore company was charged earlier this month with fraud after allegedly falsifying letters from his company, Citadelle Corporate Services, to Wirecard, claiming that the company had tens of millions of euros in escrow accounts.
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This has been done in numerous cases, such as, more recently, in the Hin Leong case, where prosecution began in a much shorter time than usual for cases of such scale and complexity.
SPOKESMAN OF THE CHAMBER OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL.
Wirecard, the German digital payments company, filed for bankruptcy in June.
White collar crimes are divided into three broad groups: criminal fraud / cheating / breach of trust, securities-related crimes and corruption / bribery.
Noting the rise in cross-border financial crime over the years, the spokesperson said that AGC and its law enforcement partners have worked closely with their counterparts in many countries, including the US, Great Britain. , Switzerland and Malaysia, to share information and trace, seize or repatriate. money.
“For example, we have worked with the French authorities in the seizure of more than $ 10 million in the Steep Rise Limited case.”
The move came after French authorities investigating fraud and money laundering in France detected suspicious money transfers to bank accounts in Singapore.
AGC has so far also repatriated some $ 50 million to Malaysia in connection with 1MDB. “In this regard, one of our main objectives is to protect Singapore’s reputation and position as a clean and reliable international financial center, and one of the few jurisdictions in the world that has corruption under control,” the spokesman said.
Industry sources see the challenge of white-collar crime as an ongoing struggle where technology can help overcome potential perpetrators.
“The key to effective prosecution is gathering solid evidence. Technology helps a lot in gathering that evidence, but intelligence work is just as important,” said Sam Vijaya, director of Global Oversight Solutions, an investigation, ethics and compliance consultancy.
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