SINGAPORE, July 16 — A conveyancing lawyer has been charged with forgery over her alleged involvement in documents linked to the purchase of a luxury property connected to Singapore’s S$3 billion (RM9.48 billion) money laundering case.
The 61-year-old lawyer, Chan I-Fei Julia, was charged on July 16, with court documents linking the alleged offence to an associate of one of the 10 foreigners convicted in the high-profile money laundering case, according to The Straits Times.
Chan, a director at Sterling Law, is accused of abetting a woman identified as Lim Lai Hong to forge a document purportedly signed by Chen Lingling on or around Dec 14, 2023.
The allegedly forged document was related to Chen’s purchase of a unit at South Beach Residences on Beach Road.
Court documents did not provide further details about Lim or Chen.
However, The Straits Times reported that Chen had previously been identified by authorities as an associate of one of the 10 convicted foreigners.
She was also named as a shareholder in several companies holding commercial real estate, including a four-storey shophouse on North Bridge Road that was sold for S$42 million.
Chan’s case has been fixed for a further mention on August 13.
If convicted of forgery, she could face up to four years’ jail, a fine, or both.
In 2025, Singapore’s Ministry of Law took enforcement action against four law firms and one lawyer over anti-money laundering breaches linked to property purchases connected to the S$3 billion money laundering case.
The action followed investigations by the Director of Legal Services, which regulates law practice entities and the registration of foreign lawyers in Singapore.
One law practice was ordered to pay a S$30,000 financial penalty, while another received the maximum penalty of S$100,000.
A third firm was issued a notice of intention to impose a S$70,000 financial penalty, a fourth law practice was privately reprimanded, and one lawyer was referred to the Law Society of Singapore for disciplinary proceedings.
The ministry also issued updated guidance to the legal profession in June 2025, reminding lawyers and law firms of their obligations to assess client risks, identify red flags, verify clients’ sources of wealth and file suspicious transaction reports where appropriate.
The 10 foreigners at the centre of Singapore’s S$3 billion money laundering case were sentenced in 2024 to between 13 and 17 months’ jail after being convicted of offences including money laundering, fraud and forgery before being deported and barred from returning to Singapore.
Several others have since been prosecuted in connection with the case, including former corporate service provider Wang Junjie, ex-bank employee Wang Qiming and Su Binghai’s former driver, Liew Yik Kit.
