Police interview Amber Sceat’s stepfather Phillip George Sceats about who framed him

The stepfather of jewelry designer to the stars and socialite Amber Sceats has been questioned about his time on death row in Singapore and who may have set him up.

A Sydney businessman who spent almost a year languishing on death row in Singapore has finally been interviewed by Australian police about his horrific 353 day ordeal and who may have set him up.

Officers from the NSW Police and the Australian Federal Police spent almost five hours interviewing jewelry designer to the stars and socialite Amber Sceats’ step father Phillip George Sceats.

“It has been frustrating getting people to listen,” Mr Sceats said.

“I want to get to the truth, and be able to let it go before it destroys me.”

Jeanette and Amber Sceats model some of their jewellery.

News Corp Australia can reveal Mr Sceats has asked the police to investigate an eerily similar incident in 2016 when he was stopped and targeted at Sydney Airport for allegedly carrying large undeclared amounts of cash out of Australia while travelling to a family holiday in the Maldives.

Mr Sceats has told police he was stopped by officers who said they had received a “tip off” that he was carrying more than the allowable $10,000 cash without declaring it.

Nothing unlawful was found and he continued his trip.

Mr Sceats thought it was strange but didn’t give it much thought until two years later when he was arrested at Changi airport in March 2018 en route to Langkawi to celebrate his 64th birthday with wife Jeanette who was in Hong Kong on business.

Mr Sceats was arrested at Singapore's Changi Airport.

A caller had “tipped-off” Singaporean authorities that the 53-year-old businessman was carrying cocaine in his luggage.

A search of his bag found two small packages containing almost 90g of cocaine, with Mr Sceats later charged with trafficking.

His family hired their own investigators - including top Singapore lawyer Amarick Gill and three former high-ranking Australian police officers including former commissioner Graham Rynders, Nick Kaldas and Ken Clark- to get him freed.

The Singaporean authorities subjected Mr Sceats to a lie detector test, which he passed, and a blood and urine test which showed no illicit drugs in his system.

They found methadone for which he had a prescription and a doctors’ letter.

The trafficking charges against him were dropped and he was freed in February 2019 when Singaporean authorities agreed with the private investigators hired by Mr Sceats’ family he had been framed

Former Police Assistant Commissioner Graham Rynders was one of the investigators who helped free Mr Sceats.

Mr Sceats has now requested police investigate if the same person who rang Sydney airport authorities in 2016 about the cash is the same person who hid the cocaine in his luggage and rang Singaporean authorities in 2018 about the drugs.

The Singaporean authorities have the details of the person who made the tip-off.

Mr Sceats struggled with a heroin addiction in the late 1970s and 1980s when he was aged in his 20s. The NSW Police declined to release his record under Privacy laws. The AFP did not respond when asked for details of his record.

But Mr Sceats has said he had convictions for possession of heroin and Indian hemp (marijuana) in Sydney, as well as one conviction in England in the mid 70s where he said he spent three years in jail for possessing heroin.

In 1979 he spent three months in custody in Switzerland, where he was working in a ski resort, for possession of heroin before being kicked out of the country. He has since travelled back numerous times without incident.

Mr Sceats had not been in trouble for more than 27 years except for one incident in 2011 he was placed on a good behaviour bond after an unlicensed hunting rifle was found dismantled in a box at his property, along with a small amount of methadone and heroin.

He had helped run the family jewelry and watch business for 25 years and travelled frequently overseas on business buying trips without incident.

He had undertaken 22 trips in the previous couple of years before his shock set-up.

Singapore lawyer Amarick Gill said Mr Sceats’ past should have no bearing on police decision-making about investigating the crimes against him.

Mr Sceat’s lawyer, Amarick Gill said his client’s past history, when he was a young man, should have no bearing on the decision-making process for police to charge someone with a crime committed against him.

“…It would be grossly prejudicial to Mr Sceats,” he said.

NSW police confirmed they are assessing the case and possible next steps.

A spokesman for the AFP this week confirmed they have taken a statement from Mr Sceats in relation to the allegations he had been framed.

“The information provided is currently being assessed in relation to any police action which may be required to further investigate the allegations received.” The AFP spokesman said.

Police will assess who had the motive, opportunity, and funds available to buy the approx. $27,000 worth of cocaine hidden in Mr Sceats bag, and who made the tip off to Singapore.

Mr Gill has been told the Singaporean authorities cannot authorise the disclosure to him of the person who made the tipoff,

But it is understood the AFP through the Australian Attorney general can ask the Singaporean Attorney General to release the source under mutual assistance. But so far it has not been done.

Mr Gill said the AFP should initiate the process immediately.

Originally published as Police interview Amber Sceat’s stepfather Phillip George Sceats about who framed him