Dates set for fugitive Singapore lawyer Charles Yeo’s extradition hearing in UK

LONDON: Singapore’s request for fugitive lawyer Charles Yeo to be extradited from the United Kingdom is due to be heard in court in May 2025.
He appeared at Westminster Magistrate’s Court in London on Tuesday (Dec 3) as part of the initial hearing.
Yeo, 34, spoke from behind a screen only to confirm his name and date of birth.
The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service told CNA that he is wanted by Singapore authorities over claims of the abetment of cheating. 
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told CNA on Nov 13 that Singapore had sent a request to the UK seeking Yeo’s extradition.
This was for an offence of abetment of cheating, in which funds were released to his law firm that constituted a settlement sum for his client’s claim.
According to UK court documents, this purportedly took place between Jul 29, 2020 and Nov 30, 2020.
Yeo was arrested by UK authorities on Nov 4.
Yeo, who faces no charges in the UK, was granted conditional bail for £75,000 (US$127,844) in November.
However, he has remained in custody since his arrest due to difficulties confirming if the UK Home Office has retained his passport.  
Confirmation that he does not have access to a usable passport is needed before he can be released on bail, with the court concerned he may try to leave the country.
His lawyers insist Yeo’s passport remains with the UK Home Office, but they have been unable to secure confirmation that this is the case.
Defence lawyer Ben Cooper told the court: “Mr Yeo is clearly determined to remain in this country.
“In light of taking of the securities of £75,000 and all of the other bail conditions in place, the court can be satisfied Mr Yeo has done everything he can to point to the whereabouts of his passport with the Home Office.
“There is nothing more Mr Yeo can do in his capacity to establish the whereabouts of the passport.”
In an alternative attempt to satisfy the bail conditions, the court heard that Yeo’s lawyers had tried to cancel his passport at the Singapore High Commission in London.
But his legal team had not received confirmation of its cancellation by the start of Tuesday’s hearing.
The judge noted the conditions of bail set by the chief magistrate needed to be met before Yeo’s release on bail.
“If there is information from the Singaporean authorities confirming that the passport is cancelled, as far as I am concerned, that would satisfy the [bail] condition,” he said.
“But it’s a matter for the Singapore authorities to deal with. The application, I understand, was made yesterday. It seems to me you’ll have to wait until the Singapore authorities have that opportunity.”
Another hearing has been scheduled for Dec 10, by which time Yeo’s legal team hopes to have confirmation from the Singapore High Commission that his passport has been cancelled.
If released on bail, Yeo would need to submit to electronic monitoring, adhere to a strict curfew, and report regularly to a police station while he awaits his extradition hearing next year.
The former chairman of the Reform Party, Yeo was handed six charges in Singapore in January 2022:
In August 2022, a Singapore district court issued a warrant of arrest for Yeo after he breached the conditions for overseas travel while on bail. 
He was given permission to travel to Vietnam for work, but he failed to return to Singapore and claimed he was seeking “political asylum” in the UK.
The UK government said that it does not comment on individual cases. It is unclear if Yeo was granted political asylum.
Yeo also told an investigation officer that he did not intend to return to Singapore. In March 2023, the warrant of arrest was extended by the Singapore court.
According to the UK Home Office website, Singapore is among the countries that have a formal extradition arrangement with the UK. 
It is a Category 2B country – which means it needs to make out a case to support a request for extradition. 
Extradition requests from Category 2 territories need decisions by both the Secretary of State and the courts.