Alan Wei Zhaolun, the chief executive of Singapore tech firm Aperia Group, was charged on Monday with money laundering over a S$55 million bungalow purchase, taking the total number of charges against him to 11. Wei, 50, pleaded not guilty to all of them in a Singapore courtroom, with his defence team calling the allegations “misconceived”. Of the S$55 million paid for the property, the prosecution alleges that about S$38 million was the proceeds of criminal conduct.
The charges are the latest turn in a fraud investigation that began on February 27, 2025, when Wei and two other Aperia executives were first accused of conspiring to mislead United States server suppliers about the end-user of Nvidia-equipped machines. The servers have been linked by Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam to chips moved in contravention of US export controls. The matter traces back to a US inquiry into whether Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek had bought restricted Nvidia chips via intermediaries in Singapore. On Monday, the case produced what the Singapore Police Force says is the first instance of corporate entities being prosecuted in this set of investigations.
The Bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue
Wei bought the Good Class Bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue between July and October 2024 for a total of about S$55 million, according to charge sheets read in court on Monday. Of that sum, about S$38 million was paid using money the prosecution alleges represents “benefits of criminal conduct”. The SPF has already moved to lock the property down.
On July 1, the SPF issued a prohibition of disposal order against the bungalow, a measure that prevents the owner from selling or transferring it while the order remains in force. Together with about S$1 million in seized bank funds, the SPF put the total of assets seized or prohibited in the case at more than S$56 million. CNA reported that the bungalow sits near Adam Road, in one of Singapore’s landed-property enclaves.
The money-laundering charge over the property is brought under Section 54(1)(b) of the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act 1992. Two further charges against Wei under Section 54(1)(c) of the same Act cover about S$5.8 million he allegedly received in his personal bank accounts, in part representing criminal proceeds of about S$3.2 million. The deposits were credited in two windows: between July 25 and August 7, 2024, and on October 3, 2024. Conviction on each Section 54 count carries a maximum of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to S$500,000, or both. The Section 54(1)(b) charge is the largest of the three, both in dollar terms and in its connection to the bungalow.
Eleven Charges, One Plea
Wei entered a single plea on Monday: not guilty to all 11 charges, with his counsel telling the court the case against him was “misconceived”. The charges break down into one money-laundering count tied to the bungalow, two money-laundering counts tied to bank deposits, and eight counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. Of the eight conspiracy charges, two were amended on Monday to add Aperia Group chief financial officer Jenny Lim as an alleged co-conspirator alongside Wei and head of sales Aaron Woon Guo Jie.
The fraud charges allege that between November 2023 and February 2025, Wei, Lim and Woon told representatives of three suppliers, including Dell Global B V’s Singapore branch, Super Micro Computer Inc. Taiwan, and Asus Global, that an Aperia Group company would be the end-user of the servers being purchased. Each fraud conviction carries a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine, or both; each Section 54 CDSA money-laundering conviction carries up to 10 years and a S$500,000 fine. The three Aperia companies themselves, A-Speed Infotech, Aperia International, and Aperia Cloud Services (II), face a total of eight fraud charges as a result. Investigators say the servers did not in fact end up with Aperia, the allegation that underpins the entire fraud case.
| Charge | Statute | What it alleges |
|---|---|---|
| Money laundering (bungalow) | Section 54(1)(b) CDSA | Wei converted property worth about S$55 million, in part representing criminal benefits of about S$38 million, to buy the Good Class Bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue |
| Money laundering (bank deposits) | Section 54(1)(c) CDSA | Wei received about S$5.8 million in personal bank accounts across two deposit windows, in part representing criminal benefits of about S$3.2 million |
| Fraud by false representation (conspiracy) | Section 424B PC read with Section 109 PC | Wei, Lim, and Woon conspired between November 2023 and February 2025 to tell Dell, Super Micro, and Asus that an Aperia Group company would be the end-user of servers |
The Nvidia Chips Trail That Started It
The case began on February 27, 2025, when Wei, Woon and a third man, Chinese national Li Ming, were charged with fraud by false representation in relation to server purchases. A fourth accused, Jenny Lim, was charged on April 2, 2026. The SPF’s charges assert that the trio’s alleged misrepresentations to Dell, Super Micro, and Asus were made between November 2023 and February 2025.
Investigators have not publicly named Nvidia in the charge sheets, but Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in February 2025 that the servers involved in the case may contain Nvidia chips. The chips were embedded in machines supplied by Dell and Supermicro to the Singapore-based companies before being sent to Malaysia. The matter came to court after US investigators opened an inquiry into whether DeepSeek had reached restricted Nvidia chips via intermediaries in Singapore and elsewhere in Asia. Shanmugam did not rule out further destinations for the servers after Malaysia.
Shanmugam’s February 2025 statement, reported by CNA, left open whether Malaysia was the servers’ final destination. “We do not know for certain at this point,” he said, adding that investigators “assessed that there may have been false representation on the final destination of the servers”. Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry has separately said Nvidia told it “there is no reason to believe that DeepSeek obtained any export-controlled products from Singapore”.
The US export controls and the Singapore investigation share a common fact pattern: false end-user certifications to US chip suppliers. The SPF’s focus on “fraud by false representation” has now expanded to property, bank accounts, and corporate charges.
- November 2023: Wei, Lim, and Woon allegedly begin misrepresenting Aperia Group companies as the end-user of servers to Dell, Super Micro, and Asus
- July to October 2024: Wei allegedly buys the S$55 million Good Class Bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue
- February 27, 2025: Wei, Woon, and Li Ming first charged with fraud by false representation in Singapore
- April 2, 2026: Jenny Lim charged in relation to the same investigation
- July 1, 2026: SPF announces additional charges against Lim, Woon, and Li; corporate charges filed for the four companies; prohibition of disposal order issued against the bungalow
- July 6, 2026: Wei’s 11 charges read in court; bail raised from S$800,000 to S$1.25 million
First Corporate Charges in the Investigation
Monday’s hearing marks the first time corporate entities have been prosecuted in this set of investigations, according to the official July 1 announcement on the additional charges. Four companies now face charges: A-Speed Infotech, Aperia International, Aperia Cloud Services (II), collectively the Aperia Group, and Luxuriate Your Life, a fourth company controlled by Li Ming. The corporate charges cover fraud by false representation, with each company facing the same punishment in the form of a fine for each charge.
Wei, Lim, and Woon were, at the time of the alleged offences, key officers of the three Aperia companies, the SPF statement said. Because their alleged misrepresentations were made in those capacities, the three companies are jointly charged with a total of eight fraud counts alongside their executives. Li Ming is described by police as the controller of Luxuriate Your Life, and faces a separate set of charges covering fraudulent trading, computer misuse, and abetting a director in omitting to exercise reasonable diligence. The cases for the Aperia Group executives and the three Aperia companies have been adjourned for pre-trial conferences.
Bail Raised, Defence Pushes Back
The prosecution asked the court to raise Wei’s bail from S$800,000 to S$1.25 million, citing the new charges. Defence counsel Melanie Ho of WongPartnership opposed the increase, arguing the fresh charges were no surprise because the prosecution had signalled them in advance. The judge granted the prosecution’s request and fixed bail at S$1.25 million.
Ms Ho, who leads a WongPartnership team that includes Tang Shangwei, Rachel Ong and Neo Yi Ling, told the court that Wei denies any wrongdoing and that the charges are “misconceived”. Two of the fraud counts Wei initially faced have been amended to add Lim as an alleged co-conspirator alongside himself and Woon. Wei and the three Aperia companies have been cooperative, Ms Ho said, with the firms continuing to operate through the court process. The defence also noted that the SPF had moved swiftly to seize and freeze assets in the case. Wei’s bail, as fixed at S$1.25 million, will stand until his next court appearance.
Wei and the three Aperia companies have been cooperative, with the firms running to the best of their ability despite these turbulent times.
Ms Melanie Ho, defence counsel for Alan Wei Zhaolun, in the Singapore State Courts on Monday. Per CNA’s report from the hearing.
Outside court, an Aperia Group spokesperson said the companies are fully cooperating with the authorities “so that the regulatory flux is taken into consideration when viewing the alleged offences”. The spokesperson added that the charges “relate to commercial transactions involving suppliers and customers from the USA and elsewhere, which required multi-jurisdictional regulatory compliance”. The group said it would “endeavour to minimise any disruptions to its operations” and that “business will continue”. The cases for the three Aperia Group executives and the three Aperia companies have been adjourned for pre-trial conferences, with the next hearing dates not yet fixed.
How the Case Stretches Beyond Singapore
The case sits inside a larger US export-control story. The United States restricts exports of high-end Nvidia chips to China on national security grounds, a position that intensified after DeepSeek’s January 2025 chatbot launch. An analysis of US-Singapore export control enforcement from a US law firm details the regulatory backdrop both countries have built around chip shipments. The Singapore SPF has now moved from investigation to courtroom charges.
The SPF’s July 1 statement closed with a signal about enforcement direction. “The Police hold a zero-tolerance stance towards such offences and will act resolutely against those, whether businesses or individuals, who violate our laws,” the statement said. Wei faces 11 charges in total, with Lim and Woon facing nine each and the Aperia companies facing a combined eight fraud counts as corporate entities.
The prosecution’s underlying allegation, that the servers did not end up where the end-user forms said they would, mirrors the export-controls pattern US authorities are watching globally. Wei’s bungalow is now the visible target in Singapore, but the SPF’s investigation touches the wider chip-supply chain. The cases for the three Aperia Group executives and the three Aperia companies have been adjourned for pre-trial conferences, with no trial date set. Li Ming and Luxuriate Your Life face a separate track of charges including fraudulent trading and computer misuse. Maximum penalties under the charges faced include 20 years in prison per fraud count, and 10 years in prison plus a S$500,000 fine per money-laundering count.
Wei remains the only one of the four accused whose new money-laundering charges were read in court on Monday. Lim, Woon, and Li had their charges read on July 1, with the SPF announcing the asset freezes at the same time. The case has been running since February 2025, and no trial date has been set for any of the accused.
- 11 charges against Aperia Group CEO Alan Wei Zhaolun as of Monday
- S$38 million alleged criminal proceeds used toward the bungalow purchase
- S$55 million total purchase price of the Good Class Bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue
- S$1.25 million Wei’s new bail, raised from S$800,000
- More than S$56 million in assets seized or prohibited across the case
Frequently Asked Questions
What charges does Aperia Group CEO Alan Wei Zhaolun face?
Wei faces 11 charges as of Monday, including one count of money laundering tied to the S$55 million bungalow, two counts of money laundering tied to bank deposits of about S$5.8 million, and eight counts of conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation. He has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His defence is led by Melanie Ho of WongPartnership. The charges were tendered in Singapore State Courts on July 6, 2026.
How much money is at issue in the case?
The Singapore Police Force put the total of assets seized or prohibited in the case at more than S$56 million, including the S$55 million bungalow and about S$1 million in seized bank funds. Wei’s bail has been raised from S$800,000 to S$1.25 million. Per money-laundering charge the maximum fine is S$500,000; per fraud charge the maximum prison term is 20 years.
What is the Good Class Bungalow at 12 Chee Hoon Avenue?
The Good Class Bungalow is a landed property in Singapore near Adam Road. Wei is alleged to have used about S$38 million in criminal proceeds toward an S$55 million purchase between July and October 2024. The Singapore Police Force issued a prohibition of disposal order against the bungalow on July 1, 2026, preventing its sale or transfer while the order is in force. The bungalow is among the named assets in the SPF’s asset-freeze announcement.
What is Aperia Group?
Aperia Group is the collective name for three Singapore companies: A-Speed Infotech, Aperia International, and Aperia Cloud Services (II). Wei, Lim, and Woon were key officers of these companies during the alleged offence period. All three face a combined total of eight fraud charges alongside their executives, in what the SPF has called the first instance of corporate entities being prosecuted in this set of investigations.
What is the connection to Nvidia and DeepSeek?
Investigators say the servers involved in the case were supplied by Dell, Super Micro Computer, and Asus, and that chips embedded in those servers were moved in contravention of US export controls. Singapore’s Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said in February 2025 that the servers may contain Nvidia chips. The case came to court after US authorities opened an investigation into whether Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek had bought restricted Nvidia chips via intermediaries in Singapore and elsewhere in Asia. Singapore’s Ministry of Trade and Industry has separately said Nvidia told it “there is no reason to believe that DeepSeek obtained any export-controlled products from Singapore”.
