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SINGAPORE: A Spanish court has ruled to keep Mitchell Ong, the sole suspect in the killing of Singaporean Audrey Fang, in custody for another two years.<\/span><\/p>\n Spanish news outlet La Verdad reported on Tuesday (Mar 31) that the investigating judge referenced “clear” evidence in the case and cited a risk of flight if he were to be released.<\/span><\/p>\n The judge ruled that pre-trial detention is a \u201cproportionate, appropriate and necessary\u201d measure. This was due to the seriousness of the crime, the \u201cstrength of the incriminating evidence\u201d, and the \u201cimminent conclusion\u201d of the investigation, with only a few final procedures remaining.<\/span><\/p>\n Under Spanish law, pre-trial detention can last up to two years, and judges may extend it by up to another two years in exceptional circumstances.<\/span><\/p>\n Ms Fang had been travelling alone in Spain when <\/span>her body was found<\/span> near a lorry parking area in the town of Abanilla on Apr 10, 2024. Ong, who was arrested shortly after, has previously admitted to <\/span>taking Ms Fang to the area<\/span> but denies killing her.<\/span><\/p>\n According to La Verdad, the ruling comes days after a hearing to determine the status of Ong, who is approaching two years in remand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The prosecution had requested the extension and the move was supported by lawyer Manuel Mart\u00ednez, who is acting as a private prosecutor on behalf of the victim\u2019s family.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In Spain, victims can hire lawyers to act as private prosecutors and they can bring evidence, request statements or call for charges, among other things. They are separate from the public prosecution.<\/span><\/p>\n Maria Jesus Ruiz de Castaneda, the Ong’s court-appointed lawyer, had sought a conditional release with measures such as weekly court appearances or electronic monitoring.<\/span><\/p>\n However, the judge accepted the prosecution\u2019s argument that Ong posed a flight risk.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n She noted that the accused is a Singaporean with “no ties whatsoever to Spain”, adding that providing a local address is not sufficient to mitigate the flight risk due to his lack of connections in Spain.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The judge also<\/span> took into account that the potential jail term that Ong may face could be high enough to “trigger a desire to flee”.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ong has not yet been formally charged, but La Verdad reported that both the prosecution and the victim\u2019s legal team intend to pursue a murder charge.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n