The case is putting a fresh spotlight on the challenges of policing the influx of foreign wealth into Singapore, less than a year after its biggest money-laundering scandal.
Hong Kong is still the first stop for businesses looking to crack the world’s second-largest economy; Singapore’s economic backyard in Southeast Asia is far smaller.
Experts say Subhas Nair’s case speaks to both the effectiveness and limits of the Singapore government’s heavy-handed approach to minimizing uncomfortable discourse.