Terrorist, tutor, trader, & thief: 4 attempted escapees from S'pore law

After the arrest and extradition of former lawyer Lim Tean, discussions have arisen regarding his decision to flee to Johor in order to escape incarceration. However, Lim's escape proved temporary, prompting an examination of other individuals who have similarly attempted to evade Singaporean justice. This report details four prominent figures who have either successfully fled or attempted to do so.

Mas Selamat Kastari, who served as the former head of Jemaah Islamiyah's Singapore branch, stands out as the most notable individual among those who have absconded from Singaporean law. In February 2008, Mas Selamat famously escaped from the Whitley Road Detention Centre through a meticulously planned operation. He enlisted the aid of several accomplices who executed a series of complex steps, which ultimately led to his capture in 2020, when he was sentenced to four years in prison.

Notably, Mas Selamat has evaded arrest for nearly four years, with about 40 other Singaporeans currently holding Interpol Red Notices against them.

Leeson's responsibilities initially expanded to encompass front office operations, like trading, as well as back office operations, which handled paperwork for such trades. Unbeknownst to others, Leeson operated a clandestine and unauthorized trading account that he used to conceal trading losses. The turning point came in 1995 when Leeson bet on the Nikkei Index not falling below 19,000 points, a prediction that proved incorrect following the 1995 Kobe earthquake.

This caused the stock exchange to plummet, resulting in Leeson losing nearly S$1.4 billion. Fearing exposure, Leeson fled to Kuala Lumpur and then to England via Frankfurt. Between 1992 and 1995, he amassed S$2.2 billion, approximately S$3.5 billion in today's money, in losses for the account, narrowly avoiding detection on several occasions.

As a result, the bank was forced into administration, and a warrant of arrest was issued for Leeson. He was subsequently detained in Frankfurt, initially resisting extradition but later agreeing to return and pleading guilty to two charges of fraud and forgery. Leeson served six and a half years in prison, during which his marriage ended, and he was diagnosed with colon cancer.

He was released early in 1999 for good behavior, and eventually returned to the UK, where he became a prominent speaker at after-dinner and keynote speaking events. Leeson's actions inspired Singapore's amendments to the Futures Trading Act and prompted other measures to strengthen the country's regulatory framework for futures trading.

David James Roach is another individual who was eventually apprehended after attempting to flee Singapore. In 2016, he orchestrated a robbery at the Holland Village Branch of Standard Chartered Bank, successfully stealing S$30,450 in cash.