In 2012, Shane Todd - a U.S. citizen, electrical engineer, and research scientist - worked on a project proposal targeted at Huawei. The project involved obtaining dual military/civilian use technology for the Institute of Microelectronics (IME) in Singapore from a U.S.-based company. Shane felt uncomfortable with his role in acquiring this dual-use technology. Partly due to this discomfort, Shane decided to leave his job and return to the U.S. On the eve of his departure from Singapore, Shane was found dead in his apartment.
IME is a Singaporean semiconductor research institute funded by an agency of the government of Singapore [1]. IME functions as a bridge between academia and the industry. IME employs researchers and takes on research projects from commercial corporations that create or use semiconductors as part of its mission. In 2021, IME ran its own cleanrooms and fabs.
By 2012, IME had successfully conducted multiple projects for Huawei. During 2012, Shane was actively involved in a new IME project proposal for Huawei [2], [3].
The IME-Huawei project proposal involved dual-use (military/civilian) Gallium Nitride equipment for developing semiconductors from Veeco - a U.S.-based company [4]. This Veeco equipment would have to be used if the Huawei project went ahead.
In January 2012, IME had acquired Veeco equipment under a U.S. export license that prohibited the use of the equipment for military applications [3]. Also, in January 2012, Shane traveled to the U.S. on behalf of IME to be trained on Veeco's equipment.
Shane perceived the use of Veeco's equipment for the Huawei project as beyond the limits imposed by the U.S. export license [5]. Shane believed that by engaging in the Huawei project, he was working against the U.S. and may also be breaking U.S. law. He expressed his anxiousness to his family back in the U.S. and appeared to be fearful for his life.
Outside of the Huawei project, Shane was dissatisfied with his work at IME. Adding the export license related anxiety to his pre-existing dissatisfaction with IME convinced Shane to leave IME and return to the U.S.
In March 2012, Shane gave notice to IME and prepared. Shortly after that, Shane purchased a plane ticket for the U.S. - he planned to leave Singapore on July 1.
By June 22, 2012, Shane had wrapped up his work with IME. He had had a farewell get-together with his colleagues and was in the process of cleaning out his apartment.
On June 24, 2012, Shane was discovered hanging in his apartment. He was dead by the time he was found. A subsequent coroner's report indicated that he died on the night of June 22 [2], [3], [5].
Singapore police made several mistakes in investigating Shane's death [5].
First, Singapore police appear to have improperly handled several of Shane's electronic devices (e.g., computers, external hard-drive and cell phone). They accessed the devices without preserving the devices' content, in the process breaching international investigation norms.
Second, Singapore police appear not to have taken systematic professional photographs of Shane's apartment. The police officers in charge appear to have taken only a couple of photographs of the area where Shane died, with a personal cell phone. Even these photographs were subsequently deleted.
Third, Singapore police appear to have made no effort to take fingerprints or DNA samples from Shane's apartment.
It appears that Singapore police concluded at the outset that Shane's death was a suicide. They appear to have made no serious attempt to put forth or pursue another explanation for Shane's death. Shane's family has contested for years that there was some evidence of foul-play and that Singapore police should have seriously pursued alternate explanations for Shane's death.
Huawei does not appear to have direct involvement in the case. However, it does appear that Shane believed that Huawei was using IME to skirt U.S. export control rules.
Shane's belief was not surprising - by 2012, several cases of Huawei-directed corporate espionage had been discussed in mainstream English-language media. Some of these cases garnered extensive public attention. Shane was likely aware of these cases.
[1]: Institute of Microelectronics, Singapore. www.a-star.edu.sg/ime. (Retrieved) September 28, 2021.
[2]: Death of Shane Todd. Wikipedia. (Retrieved) September 28, 2021.
[3]: Death in Singapore. Raymond Bonner and Christine Spoller. Financial Times. February 15, 2013.
[4]: Veeco. www.veeco.com. (Retrieved) September 28, 2021.
[5]: Analysis of the Shane Todd Coroner's Report. Michael Dee. July 23, 2013.
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