Bail review for money laundering accused Su Baolin adjourned; lawyers raise health concerns
Yong Hui Ting
THE bail review for Su Baolin – one of the 10 foreigners arrested and charged for their alleged involvement in a S$2.8 billion money laundering case – has been adjourned, as prosecutors sought more time to respond to the defence’s submissions over his health.
Su’s lawyers on Wednesday (Nov 15) raised concerns over his health, including a “serious heart condition” and a high risk of contracting gastric cancer.
Defence counsel Sunil Sudheesan added that Su needs better care than he is currently receiving from the Singapore Prison Service (SPS).
Su, who turned 42 this month, appeared in court via a video link from Changi Medical Centre, where he is seeking treatment for a heart condition.
In response, Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) R Arvindren sought a four-week adjournment for Su’s bail review.
The prosecution said it would need time to file a response as well as check with relevant parties, such as the SPS, on the defence’s claims.
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“We could start arguing against the medical files that were submitted today, but that would be a premature argument, and I cannot be giving evidence from the bar,” DPP Arvindren said.
He added that some of the medical documents submitted by the defence were entirely new to his team until Wednesday morning.
“The key issue is not whether the accused has medical conditions, but whether the Singapore Prison Service is equipped to handle the medical conditions,” he said.
Meanwhile, defence counsel Sudheesan argued that the key point to address was the accused’s perceived flight risk.
To mitigate this, he proposed some of the “most stringent conditions” for bail that he could think of, including 24-hour surveillance at Su’s own costs.
However, District Judge Brenda Tan said she wanted to first address the prosecution’s application for an adjournment, rather than delve further into arguments of a bail review.
Sudheesan urged the judge not to grant the adjournment, noting that the prosecution had begun investigating Su in mid-2021.
“Now we are at end-2023... it’s extremely unfair for the prosecution to ask for more time,” he said.
The district judge, however, noted that at least two of the medical documents submitted by the defence were new to prosecutors.
Therefore, she said, it was reasonable to grant the prosecution an adjournment so that it could look into the concerns raised by the defence counsel and provide a response.
Su will return to court on Dec 15 for his bail review.
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