Yahoo Finance Singapore refuses Taiwan’s requests for suspects' DNA in baby homicide case: report
SINGAPORE — The Singapore government has reportedly refused several requests from Taiwanese authorities to provide the DNA samples of a Singaporean couple wanted by the Taiwanese, according to a media report.
The couple had allegedly dumped a newborn baby in a food recycling bin in Taipei in 2019.
Taiwan’s Apple Daily reported on Wednesday (17 February) that Singapore's authorities had cited “inconvenience due to the coronavirus pandemic” in response to the requests.
No extradition treaty with Taiwan
Taipei prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for Li Heng Xun, 25, and Evon Yee, 26, over suspicions of homicide and disposal of the baby's body, AFP reported.
The woman is said to have given birth to a girl on 26 February 2019 while on holiday with her boyfriend in the Taiwanese capital.
The infant was allegedly dumped in a restaurant's food waste bin in Ximending before it was inadvertently transported by a garbage truck to a recycling plant in Xindian, some 10km away.
Her body was discovered by a recycling company employee in a garbage bag hours later. The baby's placenta and umbilical cord were still intact.
Singapore does not have an extradition treaty with Taiwan, but the latter can request assistance from Singaporean authorities in obtaining evidence, or in conveying the couple to Taiwan, if they consent.
Yahoo News Singapore has reached out to the Singapore Police Force and the Ministry of Home Affairs for comment on Taiwan's reported requests. Both agencies have yet to respond.
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