Ex-remisier who allegedly misappropriated over $13m extradited to Singapore and charged
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SINGAPORE - A former remisier who left the country after allegedly misappropriating more than $13 million in different currencies has been extradited from Spain to Singapore and is now accused of multiple offences, including criminal breach of trust.
Sumiko-Jill Teo Hui-Ni, 37, who appeared in court on Friday, was a remisier at Maybank Kim Eng Securities.
She had allegedly misappropriated the money entrusted to her by 15 victims, among other offences.
Teo faces more than 50 charges in total, including more than 30 counts of criminal breach of trust and 11 counts of fraudulently using as genuine a forged document.
She allegedly committed multiple counts of criminal breach of trust in 2020 and 2021.
According to court documents, each charge involved up to US$2.5 million (S$3.3 million).
Teo left Singapore in January 2022, before a police report alleging criminal breach of trust was lodged against her.
A warrant of arrest and an Interpol red notice were immediately issued. Such a notice requests law enforcement units worldwide to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition, surrender or other legal action.
With help from the United States Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Spain National Police, Teo was extradited to Singapore on July 27, 2023, and arrested by the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) on the same day.
In a statement on Friday, CAD director David Chew said: “We will continue to collaborate closely with Interpol and our wide network of overseas law enforcement partners to locate, arrest and extradite criminals to face justice in Singapore. I would like to… thank the HSI and our Spanish counterparts for their invaluable assistance in this extradition.”
Teo is represented by lawyers Diana Ngiam, Sunil Sudheesan and Joyce Khoo from Quahe Woo & Palmer.
Her case has been adjourned to Sept 1.
For each count of criminal breach of trust, an offender can be jailed for up to 20 years and fined.
Additional reporting by Shaffiq Alkhatib
