PETALING JAYA: Two close friends of Singaporean Audrey Fang, 39, who was killed while on holiday in Spain, revealed in court that she had known her suspected killer for over a decade.
The duo provided their testimonies via video link from Singapore with the aid of a translator during the hearing, yesterday.
According to Channel News Asia, the hearing, held in chambers and closed to the public and media, lasted for more than three hours.
Following the hearing, Manuel Martinez, the lawyer representing Audrey’s family, spoke to the media.
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He stated that the witnesses had testified about the victim’s romantic interest in the suspect, Singaporean, Mitchell Ong, 43.
However, they pointed out that he seemed solely interested in selling financial assets to her.
Although the two friends had not personally met the suspect, they heard of him through Audrey.
They disclosed that she had planned to meet the suspect in Spain during her holiday and had expressed a desire to introduce him to her family. He, however, refused to meet them.
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The witnesses stated that Audrey had an interest in having a boyfriend and she liked Ong.
Audrey was discovered with 30 stab wounds in Abanilla, Spain, while on a solo trip in April.
The suspect was apprehended about a week later after security footage showed him picking her up from her hotel.
Previously, Audrey’s brother Benjamin Fang had reportedly said there are two witnesses who were close friends with his sister.
Benjamin had expressed surprise at his sister’s close relationship with Ong, stating,: “My sister was a down-to-earth, stay home kind of woman. The suspect is apparently the direct opposite.”
Martinez emphasised the family’s call for “as much justice as possible” and stated that he would seek a jail sentence of 20 to 25 years for the suspect if found guilty of the crime.
At present, Ong has not been charged and remains in pre-trial detention at Sangonera prison in Murcia, Spain.
Spanish law allows for up to two years of pre-trial detention, extendable by another two years for serious offences.
Sources close to the case indicate that the suspect has refrained from making a statement to the authorities.
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Under Spanish law, a suspect has the right to refrain from doing so.
It was reported earlier by Spanish news outlet La Verdad that on May 16, a court in Cieza was informed by the CPF Board that Audrey had designated the Ong as her CPF beneficiary.
Around the time of the nomination, close to S$200,000 (about RM697,766) was deposited into her CPF account.
The CPF Board confirmed that the victim’s savings, totaling more than €430,000 (about RM2.16 million), will not be disbursed until the conclusion of the court proceedings in Spain.
