Singapore files 41 charges in 917-server Nvidia hardware case

By Rebecca Stone

Singapore prosecutors have filed 41 criminal charges against Shi Bingzhe, a 34-year-old Chinese citizen, over 917 servers containing restricted Nvidia hardware bought in 41 transactions from May 2024 through February 2025.

Shi served as director of Superphi and chief operating officer of NJ Global Financial, according to The Straits Times. Prosecutors allege that the companies had reason to believe the servers were linked to criminal activity by Aperia International, the supplier.

The charges are divided as follows:

• Superphi: 6 charges.
• NJ Global Financial: 35 charges.

The case now involves five individuals and six companies. Four firms were charged in July over allegedly false claims made when purchasing servers:

• Aperia International
• A-Speed Infotech
• Aperia Cloud Services (II)
• Luxuriate Your Life

Authorities did not disclose the precise nature of those alleged false claims. They have frozen the disposal of a property worth approximately S$55 million and confiscated around S$1 million from bank accounts.

Shi faces up to 10 years in prison and a fine of S$500,000 per charge if convicted. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 4, 2027.

What is Malaysia checking about re-exports?

Reuters reported that Malaysia’s Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry is examining whether Speedmatrix re-exported AI processors or servers imported for Malaysian data centers. Speedmatrix is the Malaysian subsidiary of Singapore-based Megaspeed.

After months of inquiry, authorities had not determined whether any shipments occurred or, if they did, whether they complied with Malaysian law. The investigation therefore remains focused on potential diversion rather than a finding that restricted hardware left the country.

Malaysia introduced permit requirements for the export, transit and trans-shipment of advanced U.S.-developed AI accelerators in July 2025. Companies must now obtain appropriate authorization before moving covered hardware.

“There is no evidence that Megaspeed-related AI hardware had left Malaysia,” Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said, adding that the government would cooperate with international investigations.

The ministry is working with Malaysian customs authorities and officials in Singapore and the United States. It also said it could introduce additional restrictions.

What must Megaspeed’s inventory audit establish?

On November 12, Megaspeed said it had hired a U.S. law firm to conduct a comprehensive inventory of its AI GPUs and independently assess its compliance with U.S. export-control regulations, DigiTimes reported.

The company also confirmed that it had cooperated with inspections by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, or BIS. Megaspeed said it was prepared to cooperate with other U.S. government agencies if necessary.

“Compliance with U.S. export rules as well as transparent operations were always a priority for the company,” said James Tan Yong Pong, Megaspeed’s chief executive.

Megaspeed did not disclose how many GPUs it owns, which models it holds, what BIS examined during its inspections or whether the agency identified any violations.

What links the probes to Jensen Huang?

The wider report also alleged that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had resigned over claims of multiple extramarital affairs, including one involving a person described as a possible Chinese intelligence asset said to have facilitated GPU smuggling into China.

It cited analyst speculation that systematic chip smuggling may have explained Huang’s departure. Neither claim was supported by evidence in the Singapore charges or Malaysian inquiry linking Huang to the 917 servers.

The cited investigations have found no evidence that restricted hardware ultimately reached China. The connection between the leadership allegations and the two enforcement cases therefore remains unproven.

How could this change Nvidia’s regional distribution?

The Singapore prosecution focuses on alleged fraud and transactions involving proceeds of criminal activity. Malaysia’s inquiry asks whether imported AI processors and servers moved onward in breach of local export, transit and trans-shipment rules.

That distinction matters because Malaysia and Singapore sit at two points in the international supply chain for restricted AI hardware, including equipment intended for destinations such as China. Neither investigation has traced the servers there, yet both expose the difficulty of enforcing accelerator controls across multiple jurisdictions and corporate entities.

Any additional Malaysian restrictions would place more scrutiny on regional AI hardware movements, although their scope and timing remain unset. Megaspeed’s inventory audit, Malaysia’s permit decisions and Shi’s January 4, 2027 hearing will shape whether Nvidia accelerators can continue moving through these Asian gateways without added compliance friction.