Singaporean man allegedly involved in $32m luxury goods scam set to plead guilty on Oct 10
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Pi Jiapeng, 30, had the date set to plead guilty after a pre-trial conference on Sept 5.
ST PHOTO: DESMOND FOO
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE - Three years after his arrest in August 2022, a Singaporean man accused of playing a role in a high-profile luxury goods scam involving $32 million worth of designer goods will plead guilty on Oct 10.
Pi Jiapeng, 30, had the date set to plead guilty after a pre-trial conference on Sept 5.
His wife, Thai national Pansuk Siriwipa, was sentenced to 14 years’ jail
She had masterminded the scheme to cheat almost 200 victims and admitted to 30 charges, including cheating, fraudulent trading and money laundering.
The couple made headlines in 2022 after more than 180 police reports were filed against their companies, Tradenation and Tradeluxury, because they had not fulfilled orders for luxury bags and watches even though payments for the items had been made in full.
Pi faces nine charges. One charge alleged that he possessed a luxury sports car believed to have been obtained using tainted funds.
Pi is also accused of abetting Pansuk in moving $260,000 out of Singapore without declaring it to the authorities.
While under police investigations in 2022, the couple fled Singapore in the container compartment of a lorry.
Warrants of arrest and Interpol red notices were issued against them.
After more than a month on the run, the Singapore Police Force received information from the Royal Thai Police that the couple were staying at a hotel in Johor Bahru.
They were arrested at the hotel on Aug 11, 2022,
The couple were charged, and no bail was granted to them.
