SINGAPORE - Convicted of misusing church funds, former City Harvest Church fund manager Chew Eng Han was nabbed at sea on Wednesday morning (Feb 21) allegedly trying to flee Singapore on a motorised sampan.
The 57-year-old was due to begin his jail term of three years and four months on Thursday for his role in the largest case of misuse of charitable funds here.
Here are some other suspects and criminals who fled Singapore:
1. Canadian David James Roach
He was suspected of robbing a Standard Chartered Bank branch of $30,000 in 2016, fled to Bangkok but was arrested three days later.
He was sentenced to 14 months' jail in Thailand last June for violating money laundering and customs laws. He was carrying more than US$20,000 (S$26,000) - believed to be proceeds from the robbery - when he entered Thailand.
Media reports said Roach was being deported from Bangkok to Canada and in transit in London when he was arrested on Jan 11.
His extradition from Britain is being sought by Singapore.
2. Former lawyer David Rasif
He disappeared in June 2006 with $11.3 million of clients' money. He was last seen in Bangkok, Thailand.
3. Match fixer Wilson Raj Perumal
A convicted match fixer, he jumped bail in Singapore in 2010 over an assault charge, but was arrested in Finland in 2011 for match-fixing. He is now a prosecution witness in Hungary's match-fixing trials.
4. Former cabby Neo Soon Joo
He masterminded the 2008 kidnapping of a 60-year-old woman, her two-year-old grand-daughter and their 23-year-old maid.
The trio had just returned to their Braddell Heights home in the woman's red BMW when Neo ran into the driveway and held them at knifepoint.
Neo's accomplice drove them to a bank in Hougang where the older woman withdrew $50,000 and gave it to Neo. The accomplice also helped Neo flee to Malaysia.
5. Lawyer David Khong Siak Meng
He was wanted by Singapore for criminal breach of trust and ran away with $68,000 of clients' money in August 2007.
6. Former financial adviser Michael McCrea
He was wanted for the murder of his chauffeur Kho Nai Guan and Mr Kho's girlfriend, Chinese national Lan Ya Ming, in January 2002.
McCrea, a Briton, fled to London and later Melbourne, where he was arrested in June 2002. He spent the next three years contesting his extradition to Singapore, which Australia eventually allowed. In Singapore, McCrea was charged with two counts of murder. But these were later reduced to culpable homicide, and he was jailed for 24 years.
7. One-Eyed Dragon Tan Chor Jin
On Feb 15, 2006, Tan Chor Jin, known as the One-Eyed Dragon as he was blind in his right eye, barged into nightclub owner Lim Hock Soon's flat in Serangoon, and ordered him to tie up his maid, wife and teenage daughter.
Tan then used a Beretta pistol to fire six rounds at him. Five of the bullets hit Mr Lim, killing him. Tan also robbed the victim and his family.
Later that morning, Tan made his way across the Causeway. He was arrested by the Malaysian police in Kuala Lumpur 10 days later and sent back to Singapore.
8. Former NKF chairman Richard Yong
He was one of four ex-National Kidney Foundation (NKF) board members sued by its new leadership in January 2007 for failing in their duties to the charity.
By February, Yong conceded defeat in the case but failed to pay damages amounting to nearly $900,000 to the charity, and was made a bankrupt on May 16. That same day, he was convicted and fined $5,000 for failing in his duties as an NKF director.
But early the next day, Yong skipped town to go to Malaysia with his wife without the approval of the Official Assignee. They later went to Hong Kong.
The Hong Kong police arrested Yong in July the same year and he was repatriated to Singapore. Two months later, Yong was sentenced to 15 months' jail for illegally transferring almost $4 million into his wife's overseas bank account, and for two counts under the Bankruptcy Act.
9. Terrorist Mas Selamat Kastari
In 2008, a nationwide manhunt was mounted for Mas Selamat Kastari, the head of Singapore's branch of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah, who escaped from an unsecured toilet ventilation window at Whitley Road Detention Centre.
Mas Selamat was arrested more than a year after his escape by the Malaysian Special Branch in a village in Johor. Malaysia and Singapore's security agencies had joined forces to track him down.
On Sept 24, 2010, he was handed over by the Malaysian authorities to Singapore.
10. Police officer Koh Kian Tiong
The assistant superintendent with the police was among 10 police officers who received bribes from illegal gambling outlet operator Chua Chin Hoe. In 2012, Chua was sentenced to 4½ years jail and fined $20,000. Koh, who was in charge of the Secret Societies Branch of the Criminal Investigations Department, has been on the run since.
SOURCE: ST AND TNP FILES
