Une affaire de blanchiment d'argent de 3 milliards de dollars: un avocat de transfert accusé de contrefaçon sur l'achat de propriété

A conveyancing lawyer has been charged with forgery in connection with a high-profile $3 billion money laundering case in Singapore. Chan I-Fei Julia, 61, was formally charged on July 16 after being implicated in the creation of a fraudulent document tied to the purchase of a property in South Beach Residences at 28 Beach Road. According to court documents, she allegedly abetted Lim Lai Hong to fabricate a document that was purportedly signed by Chen Lingling around December 14, 2023. Police confirmed that Chan, who works at Sterling Law, served as the conveyancing lawyer for the acquisition of a commercial property in Amoy Street and a residential unit at South Beach Residences. These properties were purchased by the spouse of Su Yongcan, a foreign national who is among those investigated in the ongoing anti-money laundering probe. The police stated that Chan conspired with an employee of her law firm to forge a "Know Your Client" form during the purchase of the South Beach Residences unit. This form is a standard due diligence tool used by financial and legal institutions to comply with anti-money laundering regulations. The case against Chan, who faces one count of abetment by conspiracy to commit forgery, will be revisited in court on August 13. If found guilty, she could face up to four years in prison, a fine, or both. The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) had previously taken several law firms and a lawyer to task in 2025 for breaching anti-money laundering protocols related to property purchases connected to the $3 billion case. This came after investigations conducted by the Director of Legal Services (DLS), a division within MinLaw responsible for overseeing legal practices and foreign lawyers in Singapore. As a result of these inquiries, one law firm was ordered to pay a $30,000 fine, while another was hit with the maximum penalty of $100,000. A third firm received a notice indicating a potential $70,000 fine, and a fourth firm was privately reprimanded. Additionally, one lawyer was referred to the Law Society of Singapore for disciplinary measures. In response, MinLaw released a guidance note in June 2025 reminding legal professionals of their obligations under the Legal Profession Act. These include assessing client risks, recognizing warning signs, determining the source of funds, and submitting suspicious transaction reports (STRs) to the police when necessary. Separately, Wang Junjie, a former corporate services firm owner, was sentenced to 32 weeks in jail on July 16 for conspiring to defraud the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore (IRAS). He had been charged in January 2025 with 15 offenses, including forgery, account falsification, and presenting forged documents as authentic. Wang, 43, pleaded guilty in June to two charges: conspiring with Su Haijin, one of the 10 foreigners convicted in the money laundering case, to misrepresent the financial status of Yihao Cyber Technologies, a Singapore-based company owned by the foreigner, and failing to fulfill his duties as a director of the firm. The remaining 13 charges against Wang were either withdrawn or dismissed. His sentencing marks a significant step in the broader investigation into financial misconduct linked to the $3 billion case. The legal proceedings continue to unfold, with more details expected to emerge as the cases progress through the courts.