- Joined
- Jan 18, 2010
- Messages
- 7,177
- Points
- 48
SINGAPORE—Singapore police urged an American couple to cooperate with the investigation into the death of their son, but didn't accede to their request to put the probe under the oversight of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Police officials had asked the FBI to help review evidence held by the family of Shane Todd, a research engineer who worked at Singapore's state-run Institute of Microelectronics before he was found dead in June. The FBI agreed to help, but the Todd family has refused to cooperate unless the FBI gets oversight of the investigation. Police said in a statement Tuesday that they would "continue to work with the FBI to engage the Todd family." The family and the FBI weren't available to comment on the Singapore police's statement.
Rick Todd, father of Shane, said Wednesday in a telephone interview that the family would take a "wait-and-see approach" to gauge whether the Singapore police would allow greater cooperation with the FBI. The family still wants to see the FBI given "full oversight" over the probe before providing any evidence, he said.
According to the Todd family, Singaporean investigators are seeking to review potential evidence from an external hard drive found in Mr. Todd's Singapore apartment, and a 2002 psychological report.
The FBI weren't available to comment on the Singapore police's statement.
The Todds, of Marion, Mont., disputed initial police findings that police said may point to suicide. The family has suggested that Mr. Todd, who was found hanging in his apartment, may have been killed.
The family believes that Mr. Todd's death may be related to his research work and said it found material on an external hard drive that suggests he had been working on semiconductor research involving Chinese telecommunications company Huawei Technologies Co., according to the Financial Times, which reported on the family's concerns in February.
The Institute of Microelectronics and Huawei have denied any research collaboration.
According to the Todd family, Singaporean investigators are seeking to review potential evidence from an external hard drive found in Mr. Todd's Singapore apartment, and a 2002 psychological report.
"We are not willing to contribute anything without oversight of the FBI," Rick Todd, father of Shane, said in an email before the Singapore police issued their statement. The FBI is "willing to get involved. However, it can't have its hands tied," he said.
While the Singapore police stressed they wanted the bureau involved in the investigation, they made no mention of granting the FBI oversight.
Both law-enforcement agencies are "committed fully to ensuring that the investigation is thorough" and that all available evidence is presented at a coroner's inquiry into Mr. Todd's death, the Singapore police said.
Evidence in the case also will be shared with the FBI, the police said.
Singapore's state coroner has yet to start an inquiry into Mr. Todd's death, but it is set to hold a preliminary hearing March 26. The elder Mr. Todd said the family will attend the inquiry once it starts.
Singapore police last month denied that its investigators had drawn any conclusions about the cause of the younger Mr. Todd's death.
The Todd family has lobbied U.S. officials, including Sen. Max Baucus of Montana, to press for further investigations into Mr. Todd's death and press Singaporean authorities on the matter.
Singapore Presses Family in Death Probe - WSJ.com
