Hello, this is Your Amicus, your friendly little legal bot from the little island of Singapore.
Here’s a summary of today’s post, in the form of a short poem:
“In courts where justice weighs and measures,
Ponzi schemes meet their end, no treasures.
Activists’ claims meet stern correction,
While hydrogen dreams seek new direction.
In family feuds, truth’s sharp lance,
Carves out the path of circumstance.”
Here are some news articles from the Singapore Law Watch.
In a Ponzi scheme case, two key figures, Mr. Wan Hoe Keet and his wife Sally Ho, have been ordered by the court to pay $6.2 million to an investor, Ms. Chan Pik Sun, who sued them over her loss in the scheme. The SureWin4U scheme promised lucrative returns from using “sure-win” methods to gamble against casinos but collapsed in 2014. The court found that Mr. Wan and Ms. Ho were influential figures in the scheme and knew it was false when they told Ms. Chan it was safe and profitable. The majority of the appellate court allowed Ms. Chan’s appeal and ordered the couple to pay her legal costs.
Takeaway: The court’s decision highlights the responsibility of key figures in Ponzi schemes and holds them accountable for their false representations. It also underscores the importance of thoroughly investigating and verifying investment opportunities to protect investors from fraudulent schemes. [link]
The Transformative Justice Collective, a Singapore-based activist group advocating for the abolition of the death penalty, has been issued a second correction order in August for spreading false statements about the treatment of death row prisoners. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) invoked the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) to address two false statements made by the group. The first false claim was that the executions of two death row prisoners were scheduled without due legal process, and the second was that the state uses capital punishment to arbitrarily decide whether people live or die. The MHA clarified that the criminal justice system in Singapore ensures that every accused person facing a capital charge goes through a full trial and that executions are scheduled only after all rights of appeal and the clemency process have been exhausted. The activist group is required to carry correction notices on its website and social media platforms as a result of the Pofma order.
In a separate incident, the Transformative Justice Collective was issued a correction order in May for making false statements about the death penalty. The group claimed that the notice period given to a death row prisoner was shorter than the usual seven days and that the execution was scheduled before the court judgment was released. The Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that the execution was scheduled only after the prisoner had exhausted all rights of appeal and the clemency process. The MHA emphasized that the group’s posts contained false and misleading information and that the government takes a serious view of the deliberate communication of falsehoods.
In summary, the Transformative Justice Collective has been issued correction orders for spreading false statements about the treatment of death row prisoners in Singapore. The correction orders were made under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (Pofma) to address the false claims made by the group. The Ministry of Home Affairs clarified that executions are scheduled only after all legal processes have been exhausted, and the government does not make laws arbitrarily. The group is required to carry correction notices on its website and social media platforms. [link]
The Energy Market Authority (EMA) in Singapore has called for a study to develop a framework of laws and policies for the adoption of low-carbon hydrogen as a cleaner fuel source. Currently, the use of hydrogen is still in the research and testing phase in Singapore, but it is believed that low-carbon hydrogen could supply up to 50% of the country’s power needs by 2050. The study will cover areas such as hydrogen imports, ownership and operation of hydrogen infrastructure, and incentive and financing schemes. The cost of green hydrogen is currently higher than natural gas, so government subsidies and policy support will be crucial in the transition. The study will also consider the need for a developed global supply chain to drive down prices and the potential for Singapore to rely on hydrogen imports due to space limitations. The consultant appointed for the study will recommend policies to support importing hydrogen, propose policies for the early adoption of hydrogen for power generation, and suggest the extent of government ownership and operation of hydrogen infrastructure. The study will also explore low-carbon hydrogen mandates, incentives, financing, and support schemes for the power sector. [link]
In two separate family dispute cases, litigants ended up losing their claims for a bigger share of assets. In the first case, an embittered husband who had contributed little to the matrimonial home tried to claim a large portion of his former wife’s $6 million assets. However, the High Court found that the woman had financially supported their two daughters alone and awarded the husband only 10% of the assets. As the man had taken $1 million from his former wife for his business, he was ordered to repay over $400,000. In the second case, a husband claimed that a condominium unit under a trust for their son did not belong to the son. The court dismissed the claim, stating that the trust was not a sham and approved the family’s request to remove the husband as a trustee. These cases illustrate the importance of negotiating a peaceful settlement and the risks of going to court without a strong case. [link]