September 24, 2024
SINGAPORE – The man accused of killing Singaporean Audrey Fang in Spain met up with his Ukrainian girlfriend days after the alleged incident and told her he was hoping to resolve his financial difficulties soon.
The woman, who testified recently in a Spanish court, said she noticed the accused, Mitchell Ong, had injuries on his knees, reported Spanish media outlet La Verdad on Sept 23.
The woman, who was not identified, described Ong as an aggressive person. She did not quiz him about his injuries.
La Verdad reported that Ong, 43, and the Ukrainian woman had been romantically linked for several years but have since broken up. He had previously confided in her about his financial woes.
It is not clear from Spanish media reports whether Ong’s trial has started, or what his charges are. It was previously reported that Ong was in pre-trial detention in Spain.
Ong has been in custody since April 16 after Ms Fang was found dead with 30 stab wounds and other injuries near a parking area for lorries in the town of Abanilla on April 10.
It is about 150km from the hotel where the Singaporean woman was staying. Ong, who was staying at a different hotel, was arrested in his room, where a number of items belonging to Ms Fang, including her mobile phone, were found.
A preliminary autopsy report found that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of her death.
Ms Fang, 39, left for Spain on April 4 and became uncontactable on the night of April 9. She had told her family she might be meeting a former colleague there.
On April 13, Ong told staff at the hotel where he was staying that his Ukrainian girlfriend would be visiting him.
Spanish police said he told the staff to alert him when they saw her as she had €5,000 (S$7,200) with her. Later, he broke down and told staff at the hotel reception that his girlfriend had left him and was returning to Ukraine.
Earlier in June, two of Ms Fang’s friends told the court that Ms Fang had been romantically interested in Ong, whom she had met on a social dating network.
The friends testified, through a video call from Singapore, that the pair had known each other since at least 2014 and described the relationship as “on and off”.
They added that Ong appeared to be keen only to sell financial assets to Ms Fang.
Ong had sold Ms Fang two investment-linked policies in 2015, when he was working as an insurance agent with AIA. He also previously claimed on his now-defunct website to be a financial expert, with clients who included chief executives and celebrities.
Spain’s Civil Guard, one of two national police forces, is investigating a possible “economic” motive behind the killing.
Ong was nominated as the sole beneficiary of Ms Fang’s Central Provident Fund (CPF) savings, with the accounts reportedly containing $498,000.
News of the nomination was revealed earlier in June when a court in Spain heard that the accused, who has opted to stay silent during investigations, stood to benefit from her CPF savings.
Evidence has emerged that appears to link Ong to Ms Fang’s murder. A pair of limited-edition sports sneakers found in his hotel room matches footprints found at the scene where Ms Fang was found dead.
Data collected from mobile phone operators indicate that the two Singaporeans were in the same area on the day of the crime.
A car rented by Ong was also caught on closed-circuit television where Ms Fang’s body was found.