SINGAPORE - Lawyer Charles Yeo Yao Hui, 31, who is also the former chairman of the Reform Party, failed to turn up in a district court on Monday morning (Aug 1) to represent his client in a trial involving immigration-related matters.
In a post on social media platform Instagram last Saturday, Yeo had stated that he intended to go to the United Kingdom to seek political asylum.
Yeo, who was earlier charged with unrelated offences including multiple counts of harassment and wounding the religious feeling of Christians, was given permission last month to leave Singapore for Vietnam to meet a witness linked to Monday's trial.
He was then offered bail of $10,000, with his mother acting as the bailor.
He was also allowed to leave Singapore last Wednesday and was supposed to arrive here on Saturday.
But a district court heard on Monday that he had not returned to Singapore.
Immigration and Checkpoints Authority prosecutor Syed Mubaruk Sabedeen, who is handling the trial involving Yeo's client, told District Judge Marvin Bay that Yeo's current whereabouts are unknown.
Deputy Superintendent Mubaruk said that Yeo claimed to be in the UK but the prosecution was unsure if this was “the truth or a myth”.
Yeo's client, Kok Chiang Loong, 41, who is accused of offences including playing a role in a purported marriage of convenience, told Judge Bay that Yeo had promised to turn up in court on Monday.
Kok also said that he had tried to contact Yeo but the calls failed to connect and there was no dial tone.
Kok added that he tried sending Yeo text messages but received no replies.
The court heard that he managed to contact S K Kumar Law Practice, where Yeo works, but was told that he did not turn up at the office on Monday morning.
Kok told the court: "Maybe he's kidnapped in Vietnam... maybe he's in a coma. (I have) faith in my own lawyer."
On Monday morning, Judge Bay asked Kok on his next plan of action, which included looking for a new lawyer.
When the hearing resumed that afternoon, Kok told the judge that he was still trying to get in touch with Yeo.
He also said that he had found another firm, H C Law Practice, to be on standby in case Yeo remained uncontactable.
Speaking to The Straits Times when the proceedings ended, Kok said that he was very shocked at the turn of events, adding: “I tried to go to Bukit Batok to meet (Yeo’s) mother but there was not enough time.
“He has been my lawyer from day one. I still want him to represent me if I can get in touch with him.”
Kok’s case has been adjourned to Tuesday.
In his Instagram post, Yeo had said: "I would be with my asylum solicitors and then barristers in processing my political asylum claim under the 1951 Refugee Convention - persecuted on grounds of political opinion.
"I chose after much deliberation to proceed to the UK because I believe that the English courts would be fair and impartial in examining my case."
Lawyers Azri Imran Tan and Ashwin Ganapathy from IRB Law are representing Yeo over his own charges.
Responding to queries from ST, Mr Tan said: “We have no comments.
"However, we will be making an application to discharge ourselves from representing him."
Yeo's case was earlier adjourned for a pre-trial conference on Aug 19.
For each count of harassment, an offender can be jailed for up to a year and fined up to $5,000.
And for each count of wounding the religious feelings of another person, an offender can be jailed for up to three years and fined.
