PETALING JAYA: Two close friends of Audrey Fang, the Singaporean woman murdered in Spain two months ago, are set to provide witness statements in court.
“We have spoken to the two witnesses, and they were close friends with my sister,“ said the victim’s brother, Benjamin Fang as reported by Channel News Asia.
“Everything they know about the link between my sister and the suspect (Mitchell Ong has) been disclosed to us.”
Audrey, 39, was discovered with 30 stab wounds in Abanilla, Spain, while on a solo trip in April.
The suspect, a 43-year-old Singaporean, was apprehended about a week later after security footage showed him picking her up from her hotel.
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Earlier this month, Benjamin’s lawyer, Manuel Martinez, stated that a Spanish judge had agreed for the witness statements from the two friends who “can prove that Audrey and (Ong) have been involved in the case”.
He stated the witnesses can speak about the relationship between Ong and Audrey - “whether it was friendship or sentimental”.
They will testify via video conference at the end of June.
Benjamin confirmed that as per the recent report by Spanish media, his sister had indeed nominated Ong to be the beneficiary of her Central Provident Fund (CPF).
CPF is a mandatory social security savings scheme funded by contributions from both employers and employees in Singapore.
She made this nomination in person in October last year, approximately six months before her tragic death.
Around the time of the nomination, close to S$200,000 (about RM697,766) was deposited into her CPF account, according to Martinez.
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.
Furthermore, if Ong is convicted, the funds will not be transferred to him.
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“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,“ Martinez said.
He added that Ong has exercised his right to not testify and has not provided an explanation for the evidence against him. The suspect continues to be held in pre-trial detention, as the judge determined there is “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,“ he stated.
Benjamin plans to challenge Ong’s nomination as the CPF beneficiary.
He is working with a law firm to obtain a Letter of Probate to manage his sister’s assets, a process expected to take between three to five months.
The victim’s trip to Spain included plans to meet a former colleague, but she provided her family with few details.
Communication with her family ceased on April 9, and she never boarded her return flight.
Her body was discovered the next day, approximately 150km from her hotel in Javea.
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Benjamin had no prior knowledge of Ong before his arrest and was unaware of the nature of his sister’s relationship with the suspect.
Ong, a former AIA employee, owns several businesses and was known for a lifestyle that included attending overseas raves and frequenting gyms.
“I was indeed surprised that she seemed to have a close relationship with such a person,“ Benjamin told the Singaporean publication.
“My sister was a down-to-earth, stay home kind of woman. The suspect is apparently the direct opposite.”
He also expressed his distress over his sister’s decision to nominate Ong as her CPF beneficiary, saying: “My sister had trusted this person so much. I have no clue as to why she would nominate him to be the beneficiary.”
Under CPF rules, if no beneficiary is nominated, the savings are distributed to family members through the Public Trustee’s Office.
He believes his father would have been the default beneficiary as Audrey was not married.
“I have to accept the facts so that I can better prepare my family and myself for the next course of action,“ he was quoted as saying.
