Ex-Reform Party chair Charles Yeo arrested by UK authorities following S'pore extradition request: AGC

Singaporean lawyer and former Reform Party chairman Charles Yeo was arrested by authorities in the United Kingdom (UK) on Nov. 4, following a formal request from Singapore for his extradition.

Responding to Mothership's queries on Nov. 13, the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) confirmed the arrest, saying:

"Charles Yeo absconded from Singapore in July 2022 while on bail for criminal charges.

In October 2023, Singapore sent a request to the United Kingdom seeking Yeo's extradition to Singapore for an offence of abetment of cheating under Section 420 read with Section 109 of the Penal Code (Chapter 224, 2008 Revised Edition), in respect of funds released to his law firm which constituted a settlement sum for his client's claim.

Pursuant to the request, Yeo was arrested by the UK authorities on Nov. 4, 2024.

The matter is now before the UK courts and the UK Crown Prosecution Service will be following up on this in accordance with the UK laws governing extradition."

The AGC and MHA spokespersons added that it would "not be appropriate" to comment further due to pending judicial proceedings.

Extradition

Just days before his arrest, Yeo shared in a post on Oct. 28 via Instagram that the Singaporean government had begun extradition proceedings against him after two and a half years.

Yeo posted an update on Nov. 1 that he would begin contesting the government's extradition efforts.

He shared that the process would likely take five to six months, and is "determined to ensure that all issues in [his] matter are appropriately ventilated."

Yeo's charges

Apart from the alleged offence of abetment of cheating, Yeo has also previously been charged with several offences, to which he has claimed his innocence.

In Jan. 2022, Yeo was charged with criminal breach of trust under Section 409 of the Penal Code, and with forgery under Section 465 of the Penal Code.

He was arrested on Jan. 12 2022, along with one other person, pursuant to at least four police reports lodged against Whitefield Law Corporation.

In the same month, he was charged with three counts under the Protection from Harassment Act (POHA) and three counts of making or attempting to make remarks to wound the religious feelings of the Christian community.

One of the charges relates to allegations of making abusive, insulting, and threatening communications against a police officer.

Following allegations made by Yeo, the police categorically rejected allegations that the investigations are "politically motivated", nor were the allegations "trumped up" for political reasons.

Claiming asylum in the UK

In 2022, Yeo was granted permission to travel to Vietnam for work.

He was thereafter offered a bail of S$15,000, with his mother as his bailor, reported The Straits Times.

However, instead of returning, Yeo fled to the United Kingdom, where he said he was claiming "political asylum", and said that he had "left everything behind" without disclosing his decision to both his close friends and lawyers.

He said that he claimed asylum at a British police station on Aug. 1, 2022.

Yeo was supposedly due to be moved to the Bibby Stockholm barge, which was used to accommodate asylum seekers, in Dec. 2023.

However, he said he would rather "die on the streets" than to be moved to the barge, The Guardian reported.

The barge is scheduled to be closed as asylum accommodation in Jan. 2025.

More on Yeo's legal battles

Top image via Lianhe Zaobao.