SINGAPORE: A Singaporean said to be the leader of an international insider trading and money laundering scheme had his appeal for bail denied by the High Court on May 22.
Ge Zhi, 34, was arrested by Singapore Police Force’s Commercial Affairs Department officers in July 2024, following a request by the United States in relation to alleged securities-related offences.
In August 2024, the US Government issued a formal extradition request for Ge, who was indicted on six charges, including conspiracy to commit securities fraud and aiding and abetting money laundering.
Ge, who has maintained his innocence, has been in remand since his arrest in Singapore, pending extradition proceedings.
On Nov 6, 2024, Ge applied to the State Courts to be released on bail on the basis that he was “sick or infirm”, due to blindness in his left eye and his bipolar disorder diagnosis.
The application was dismissed by a district judge the next month. Ge then applied to the High Court for bail, arguing that the district judge had erred in her decision.
In his appeal, he argued that “exceptional humanitarian circumstances” exists, including what he said was documented inadequacies in prison medical facilities and the need for continuous specialist care.
He also said his strong community ties meant he was not a flight risk.
In judgment published on May 26, Justice Tay Yong Kwang said the district judge did not err in finding that Ge was not “sick or infirm”.
The court had accepted evidence from the Singapore Prison Service (SPS), which demonstrated that Ge’s eye condition was permanent and would not change regardless of whether he was released on bail.
Ge’s contention that SPS could not manage his bipolar condition safely was also rejected by the High Court. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in his late teenage years and has not suffered any relapse of his bipolar disorder while in remand.
Justice Tay accepted SPS’ evidence which showed that even if Ge were to suffer a relapse of his bipolar disorder, his condition would be managed safely behind bars.
Ge’s extradition proceedings will be scheduled at a later date. - The Straits Times/ANN
