‘Serious flight risk’: David Yong from Netflix’s Super Rich In Korea fails in third bid to leave Singapore

STATUS OF CAMBODIAN PASSPORT

In August last year, Yong’s application to go to Japan was denied after the court deemed that his presence there was not necessary and that he had access to substantial funds there, increasing his flight risk.

On Feb 19, Yong’s second application to leave the country was rejected by District Judge Brenda Tan, who also presided over Thursday’s hearing.

A key issue at the previous hearings was the status of Yong’s Cambodian passport, with its whereabouts unknown.

The fate of the Cambodian passport was clarified by Yong’s lawyers during Thursday’s hearing, with the defence counsels citing evidence that the passport has been cancelled. Yong is represented by lawyers Melanie Ho, Tang Shangwei and Neo Yi Ling, who hail from Wong Partnership. 

Ms Ho said the defence obtained videos and photos showing that Yong’s Cambodian passport is in the possession of Cambodian authorities with the word “cancelled” stamped on it. 

She said that this was conclusive evidence that the passport was “no longer a live issue”. 

Ms Ho also rejected the prosecution’s suggestion that Yong has been seeking other passports. 

She referred to WhatsApp messages Yong exchanged with a Cambodian agent about the purchase of a property in Grenada, saying that the prosecution had misconstrued its contents.

“What the prosecution seeks to do now is weave some conspiracy theory that he is somehow seeking passports all over. In recent submissions, they mentioned a Cyprus passport based on one image,” said Ms Ho. 

While Yong had conversed about applying for another passport, he did not follow through, Ms Ho said. 

She argued that it was up to the prosecution to prove and verify the existence of other passports as the defence could not prove a negative. 

“There is no such thing that exists and we stand by that,” said Ms Ho. 

“The burden is on the prosecution to prove he has other passports. They know they cannot so they are relying on flimsy interpretations of long ago WhatsApp messages preceding investigations into this case,” said Ms Ho.

She also suggested that the prosecution was bringing up the messages now to place “new concerns” and put “another roadblock” to prevent Yong from travelling. 

She maintained that Yong was not a flight risk as he has cooperated fully with investigations, and will return to Singapore to prove his innocence. 

To say that Yong will give up his reputation and all in Singapore to become a fugitive is “preposterous”, the lawyer said.