Fugitive lawyer Charles Yeo, who fled from Singapore after criminal charges were filed against him, is in custody in the United Kingdom and awaiting an extradition hearing.
Yeo, who had an arrest warrant against him in Singapore, is due to attend a bail hearing on Nov 15, the UK court told CNA on Tuesday (Nov 12). A date for his full extradition hearing has not been set.
He posted on his Instagram account earlier this month that the Singapore government had applied for his extradition.
CNA has contacted Singapore’s Ministry of Home Affairs for more information.
The former chairman of the Reform Party, Yeo was given six charges in Singapore in January 2022:
One count of uttering words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of another under the Penal Code.
Two counts of attempting to utter words with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of another under the Penal Code.
Three counts of making abusive, threatening or insulting communication towards a public servant under the Protection from Harassment Act.
In August that year, a district court issued a warrant of arrest for the lawyer after he breached the conditions for overseas travel while on bail.
He was given permission to travel to Vietnam for work, but he failed to return to Singapore and claimed he was seeking ‘political asylum’ in the UK.
The UK government said that it does not comment on individual cases and it is unclear if political asylum was granted.
Yeo also told an investigation officer that he did not intend to return to Singapore. In March 2023, the warrant of arrest was extended by the courts.
According to the UK Home Office website, Singapore is among the countries that has a formal extradition arrangement with the UK.
It is a Category 2B country – which means it needs to make out a case to support a request for extradition. Extradition requests from Category 2 territories need decisions by both the Secretary of State and the courts.
If the extradition goes ahead, a person may appeal to the High Court within 14 days. If the High Court allows the extradition, the person can appeal in the Supreme Court.
Appeals to the Supreme Court can only be made if the High Court has certified that the case involves a point of law of general public importance.
If there is no appeal, the person must be extradited within 28 days of the Secretary of State’s decision.
