PETALING JAYA: An intelligence team from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) gathered critical information, including surveillance photos and personal details, before moving in to arrest a fugitive couple.
The rogue Singapore tycoon and his wife have been on the run from the authorities for 19 years.
Confirming their critical role in assisting Singapore in the arrest, the MACC said the operation began with a request from Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) for assistance in verifying and tracing the suspects.
“In April 2024, the CPIB director visited the MACC office to discuss the case in detail.
“Following the meeting, CPIB submitted a formal request for the service of a warrant of arrest under the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act 2002 and the Summons and Warrants (Special Provisions) Act 1971,” it said in a statement yesterday.
On Dec 3, Ng Teck Lee, 58, and his wife Thor Chwee Hwa, 55, were arrested in Johor Baru to assist an investigation into an embezzlement case involving more than US$51mil (RM227mil).
Ng was the chief executive officer and president of the then-listed recycling firm Citiraya Industries.
The company was in the business of recycling and recovering precious metals from electronic scrap such as used computer chips.
Its clients included semiconductor giants like AMD, Intel and Infineon.
But instead of crushing items to recover precious metals from the scrap, Ng allegedly sent the products overseas to be sold.
His wife was said to be in cahoots with him and they fled the country in 2005 when the CPIB investigated the case.
Yesterday, Ng was charged with one count of criminal breach of trust with both he and his wife appearing in a district court in Singapore via video link from Central Police division.
Earlier, CPIB director of investigations Vincent Lim said the arrest after “almost two decades attests to the longstanding ties and close cooperation with the MACC”.
The MACC, meanwhile, said intelligence gathering was carried out before the warrant was executed.
“Further analysis by CPIB using facial recognition technology indicated a 70% likelihood of one of the suspects.
“With our cooperation, their location and personal details including passport and phone numbers were traced,” it said.
The Johor MACC then executed the arrest, marking the culmination of a comprehensive operation involving intelligence gathering, surveillance and close collaboration across agencies.
