SINGAPORE, March 21 — Singapore businessman David Yong has been denied permission to travel overseas for the third time, with a judge ruling that he remains a “serious flight risk.”

Yesterday, The Straits Times (ST) reported that District Judge Brenda Tan rejected Yong’s request to visit Seoul and Kuala Lumpur from March 21 to April 2 for business.

She cited unresolved concerns regarding his Cambodian passport, which had also led to earlier denials on August 30, 2024, and February 19, 2025.

Yong, 37, who faces four charges of falsifying accounts, was previously revealed in court to hold a Cambodian passport under the name “Duong Dara.”

He claimed to have surrendered it to Cambodian authorities in June 2024, but Judge Tan noted that no official confirmation had been provided.

“The issue of the Cambodian passport remains unresolved,” she said, adding that there were no material changes warranting a reduction in Yong’s S$1 million (RM3.31 million) bail.

Prosecutors argued that WhatsApp messages between Yong and an associate named “Duong” reinforced concerns about his flight risk. In March 2024, Yong had inquired about obtaining a Grenada passport, expressing interest in investing US$220,000 in real estate to secure it.

“It is an uncanny coincidence that he would have spent US$220,000 if he was not interested in getting a passport,” Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Theong Li Han was quoted as saying.

According to ST, Judge Tan found it troubling that Yong had resumed discussions about acquiring a Grenada passport as recently as January 2025, just a day after investigators seized his phone.

She said this was “highly suggestive” of his intention to obtain another citizenship.

Yong, the chief executive of Evergreen Group Holdings and a former cast member of Netflix’s Super Rich in Korea, maintains that his interest in Grenada was purely for investment.

Meanwhile, his lawyer, Melanie Ho from WongPartnership, argued that concerns over Yong’s Cambodian passport should no longer be an issue.

She said her firm had obtained evidence that the passport had been returned to Cambodian authorities.

“Our position is that this is conclusive evidence,” she was quoted as saying.

Ho also criticised the Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) for failing to obtain confirmation from Cambodian authorities despite writing to them via Interpol on 10 occasions.

DPP Theong countered that CAD’s investigative powers must be exercised through proper legal channels and that no official confirmation had been received.

“The defence has not been able to point to anything concrete to support their wholly inappropriate insinuation that the prosecution had been aware of the messages and hid them,” she said.

She added that Yong’s travel restrictions were the result of his own actions.

“His flight risk clearly cannot be said to be low. We have not moved the goalpost. The playing field has changed entirely from his own conduct,” she was quoted as saying.

Yong was arrested on August 1, 2024, and charged on August 3, 2024, over a promissory note arrangement involving Evergreen Group Holdings.

If convicted of falsifying accounts, he could face up to 10 years in jail and a fine for each charge.