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THE criminal case against former National Kidney Foundation board member Matilda Chua and two others is now headed for the High Court.
Two weeks ago, on Dec 1, Chua, 38, businessman Seah Say Yoong, 70, and his son, Chin Yew, 34, were convicted and fined.
Each was also acquitted of a charge of falsifying company accounts. Chua was cleared of an additional charge of manipulating the stock market.
However, unhappy with the decision by the district court, the prosecution and the three had appealed.
The Straits Times understands that the prosecution had filed an appeal on Dec 6 against the acquittals and the punishment meted out to the three.
Chua was fined $10,000 for falsifying accounts in her call-centre company, Global Net Relations to justify a discount she gave to the younger Seah.
The older Seah and his son, former chief executive of WizOffice, were each fined $150,000 for their roles in a share-rigging scam. On Monday, the Seahs' lawyer, Mr Philip Fong of Harry Elias Partnership, also filed an appeal against the conviction.
Chua, represented by lawyer Cheah Kok Lim, is also appealing against her conviction.
The latest development means that the end is still not in sight for the NKF saga which began over two years ago.
Former chairman Richard Yong and ex-treasurer Loo Say San were fined $5,000 in May this year for failing in their duties as directors.
Durai, who was jailed for three months for deceiving the charity, is appealing against his conviction.
Now, Chua is doing the same - although her present case has nothing to do with the NKF.
The court had earlier heard that 9.875 million WizOffice shares held by GNR were sold to Seah Holdings, a real estate company held by the older Seah.
But the sale was reported at a higher price. The shares were 'sold' for 4.5 cents each, when the actual transaction price was three cents a share.
Chua gave the younger Seah a $150,000 discount in the transaction. The money came from GNR's coffers.
She faked the payment in GNR's books in order to justify the $150,000 discount at the younger Seah's instigation.
Falsifying accounts carries a maximum jail term of seven years. For rigging the stock market, the Seahs could have each been jailed up to seven years, or fined the maximum $250,000 or both.
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