Singaporean fired after allegedly spiking drink of job applicant in Hong Kong

A Singaporean man was dismissed from his job after drugging allegations were made against him by a woman he had been interviewing for a role.

The incident had first been brought to light by the alleged victim, a woman named Hana, who posted on social media platform X on Oct 29. 

"On the evening of October 24th, I was drugged by a partner at DWF Labs at a bar in Hong Kong. I have reported this to the local police and have collected video evidence of him spiking my drink," she wrote.

DWF Labs is a crypto trading firm.

Hana explained that the man had approached her with a job offer and she, being new to crypto and eager to learn, agreed to meet him.

While they were at a bar together, she had stepped away to use the restroom and left her drink attended. When Hana returned and the man left to take a call, she was alerted by a waitress that he had spiked her drink, she wrote.

Hana also claimed that the man repeatedly told her to drink faster and even suggested she follow him to his hotel room.

In CCTV footage posted to X by another user, the man can be seen retrieving something from his pocket and pouring it into what seems to be Hana's drink before placing the drink back on the table.

In her post, Hana attached a screengrab from the footage alongside photo evidence of the police report that she made.

'Inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour'

The accused, who is said to be a former partner at DWF Labs and crypto trading firm OpenEden, has since been removed from both companies' websites.

In a statement on Oct 29, DWF Labs said it is aware of the "deeply concerning" allegations against one of its partners who has been accused of "inappropriate and unacceptable behaviour".

While the matter is being investigated, the company has dismissed said partner from management and operational roles effective immediately, it said.

"At DWF Labs, we hold the utmost respect for all individuals...We do not condone actions that go against our core values of integrity, respect, and accountability."

"We will continue to monitor the situation and stand in solidarity with individuals affected by such incidents, as we believe in justice and support for all."

Singapore-based OpenEden also stated in a post on X on Oct 30 that it has formally terminated the employment of the individual in question.

"We reiterate that the individual in question no longer represents us. OpenEden takes these allegations seriously and does not condone the personal actions of this individual," the company added.

Both companies did not name the accused despite reports from various crypto publications identifying him.

The man is said to be a Singaporean and previously held a prominent role at a US cryptocurrency exchange, reported The Business Times in 2021.

A check by AsiaOne revealed that the man in question has deleted his X and LinkedIn accounts.

AsiaOne has contacted DWF Labs and Hana for more information.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com