SINGAPORE: A Spanish court has ruled to keep Mitchell Ong, the sole suspect in the killing of Singaporean Audrey Fang, in custody for another two years.
Spanish news outlet La Verdad reported on Tuesday (Mar 31) that the investigating judge referenced "clear" evidence in the case and cited a risk of flight if he were to be released.
The judge ruled that pre-trial detention is a “proportionate, appropriate and necessary” measure. This was due to the seriousness of the crime, the “strength of the incriminating evidence”, and the “imminent conclusion” of the investigation, with only a few final procedures remaining.
Under Spanish law, pre-trial detention can last up to two years, and judges may extend it by up to another two years in exceptional circumstances.
Ms Fang had been travelling alone in Spain when her body was found near a lorry parking area in the town of Abanilla on Apr 10, 2024. Ong, who was arrested shortly after, has previously admitted to taking Ms Fang to the area but denies killing her.
According to La Verdad, the ruling comes days after a hearing to determine the status of Ong, who is approaching two years in remand.
The prosecution had requested the extension and the move was supported by lawyer Manuel Martínez, who is acting as a private prosecutor on behalf of the victim’s family.
In Spain, victims can hire lawyers to act as private prosecutors and they can bring evidence, request statements or call for charges, among other things. They are separate from the public prosecution.
Maria Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda, the Ong's court-appointed lawyer, had sought a conditional release with measures such as weekly court appearances or electronic monitoring.
However, the judge accepted the prosecution’s argument that Ong posed a flight risk.
She noted that the accused is a Singaporean with "no ties whatsoever to Spain", adding that providing a local address is not sufficient to mitigate the flight risk due to his lack of connections in Spain.
The judge also took into account that the potential jail term that Ong may face could be high enough to "trigger a desire to flee".
Ong has not yet been formally charged, but La Verdad reported that both the prosecution and the victim’s legal team intend to pursue a murder charge.
Ong was arrested six days after Ms Fang's body was found.
A preliminary autopsy report found that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of her death, it was reported.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the hotel where Ong was staying captured him leaving on Apr 9, 2024, dressed in a hoodie and black pants.
Prosecutors previously said Ong drove Ms Fang to a parking lot near a restaurant in Abanilla, where he allegedly killed her.
He then returned to his hotel in the early hours of Apr 10, dressed in jeans and a blue sweater.
Spanish police have proven that both Ms Fang's and Ong's mobile phones were together in Abanilla on the day she died, local newspaper Levante El Mercantil Valenciano previously reported.
According to the judge overseeing the case, it is inferred "without a doubt" that both Singaporeans were in the same area and in the same time slot on the day the crime was committed, based on data provided by mobile phone operators in Abanilla.
In May last year, a Spanish court blocked a request for Ong's deportation.
Continue reading...
Spanish news outlet La Verdad reported on Tuesday (Mar 31) that the investigating judge referenced "clear" evidence in the case and cited a risk of flight if he were to be released.
The judge ruled that pre-trial detention is a “proportionate, appropriate and necessary” measure. This was due to the seriousness of the crime, the “strength of the incriminating evidence”, and the “imminent conclusion” of the investigation, with only a few final procedures remaining.
Under Spanish law, pre-trial detention can last up to two years, and judges may extend it by up to another two years in exceptional circumstances.
Ms Fang had been travelling alone in Spain when her body was found near a lorry parking area in the town of Abanilla on Apr 10, 2024. Ong, who was arrested shortly after, has previously admitted to taking Ms Fang to the area but denies killing her.
According to La Verdad, the ruling comes days after a hearing to determine the status of Ong, who is approaching two years in remand.
The prosecution had requested the extension and the move was supported by lawyer Manuel Martínez, who is acting as a private prosecutor on behalf of the victim’s family.
In Spain, victims can hire lawyers to act as private prosecutors and they can bring evidence, request statements or call for charges, among other things. They are separate from the public prosecution.
Maria Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda, the Ong's court-appointed lawyer, had sought a conditional release with measures such as weekly court appearances or electronic monitoring.
However, the judge accepted the prosecution’s argument that Ong posed a flight risk.
She noted that the accused is a Singaporean with "no ties whatsoever to Spain", adding that providing a local address is not sufficient to mitigate the flight risk due to his lack of connections in Spain.
The judge also took into account that the potential jail term that Ong may face could be high enough to "trigger a desire to flee".
Ong has not yet been formally charged, but La Verdad reported that both the prosecution and the victim’s legal team intend to pursue a murder charge.
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WHAT HAPPENED
Ong was arrested six days after Ms Fang's body was found.
A preliminary autopsy report found that knife wounds and head trauma were the cause of her death, it was reported.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the hotel where Ong was staying captured him leaving on Apr 9, 2024, dressed in a hoodie and black pants.
Prosecutors previously said Ong drove Ms Fang to a parking lot near a restaurant in Abanilla, where he allegedly killed her.
He then returned to his hotel in the early hours of Apr 10, dressed in jeans and a blue sweater.
Spanish police have proven that both Ms Fang's and Ong's mobile phones were together in Abanilla on the day she died, local newspaper Levante El Mercantil Valenciano previously reported.
According to the judge overseeing the case, it is inferred "without a doubt" that both Singaporeans were in the same area and in the same time slot on the day the crime was committed, based on data provided by mobile phone operators in Abanilla.
In May last year, a Spanish court blocked a request for Ong's deportation.
Continue reading...