Two university friends of the late Audrey Fang testified in Spanish court that Fang and her alleged murderer, Mitchell Ong, had been in a "relationship" since 2014.

According to local Spanish media La Verdad, the two friends testified from Singapore via video call.

The two also said that Fang and Ong had met through a social dating network.

Fang, 39, was travelling solo in Spain before she was found dead 150km away from where she was last seen with at least 30 knife wounds on her.

Ong, 43, was later arrested in his hotel room, where he was found with Fang's phone and €3,769 (S$5,473) and US$1,000 (S$1,351).

"On and off"

The two friends stated that Fang and Ong had an "on and off" relationship, La Verdad reported.

While they could not define the type of "bond" between the two, they said Fang seemed to have a "romantic and sentimental" interest in Ong.

However, the two were under the impression that Ong's interest in Fang was "purely economic" and wanted "to do business with her".

In 2015, Fang had taken up two investment-linked policies sold by an agent named Ong Cheong Yi, which is Ong's Chinese name.

According to the Straits Times (ST), the Spanish lawyer representing Fang's family said that the two university friends were close friends of Fang.

The lawyer also said that Fang had told the two friends that she was in a relationship with Ong and was planning to meet him in Spain during her holiday.

The two friends said they did not know Ong personally, and Ong refused to meet Fang's family when she wanted to introduce him to them.

CNA reported that the two friends said Fang was interested in having a boyfriend and that she liked Ong.

According to ST, Ong invoked his right not to testify in court.

Possible "economic" motive

ST noted that the Civil Guard, one of two Spanish police forces, is investigating a possible "economic" motive behind the killing.

Fang had only nominated one beneficiary, Ong, for her Central Provident Fund (CPF) account six months before her alleged murder in Spain.

She had deposited nearly S$200,000 into her CPF accounts for investment-lined products, and the nomination was made in person on Oct. 4, 2023.

Previous investigations revealed a CPF nomination note on Fang's iPad that she left in her hotel room.

The note supposedly read: "I want to declare that my decision to name you in my CPF is because you have been a friend for a long time and my trusted confidant."

It also apparently mentioned a "friendly loan" of US$50,000 (S$68,000) given based on "friendships in the past".

Fang reportedly had about S$500,000 in her CPF accounts.

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Top photos via Mitchell Ong & Audrey Fang's social media