Ex-Citiraya boss who allegedly fled with $72m nabbed after 19-year hunt

After 19 years on the run over an embezzlement case involving more than US$51 million, a rogue Singaporean tycoon and his wife were arrested in Malaysia on Dec 3.

- Andrew Wong

Ng Teck Lee, 58, was the chief executive officer and president of then listed recycling firm Citiraya Industries.

The company was in the business of recycling and recovering precious metals from electronic scrap, such as used computer chips.

Its clients included semiconductor giants like AMD, Intel and Infineon.

But instead of crushing items to recover precious metals from the scrap, Ng allegedly sent the products overseas to be sold.

The Straits Times reported in 2008 that investigations revealed he had purportedly made more than US$51 million, which was worth around $72 million at the time, from his schemes.

His wife, Thor Chwee Hwa, 55, was allegedly in cahoots with him, and the two Singaporeans fled the country in 2005 when the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) investigated the case.

The agency investigates cases of corruption and the discharging of benefits from criminal conduct, such as money laundering.

For 19 years, the couple evaded capture.

Then, there was a crack in the case on Dec 3, when they were arrested in Johor Bahru by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

The MACC handed the couple over to CPIB that day.

ST understands the pair had evaded the authorities by assuming different identities while on the run.