THE project promised rich pickings: a columbarium that stood to pull in more than $100 million in profit when completed.

But four years and $50 million later, greed and bad faith put an end to the project with its three partners bickering over who had cheated the others out of their share of the money.

The conclusion reached by the High Court: All three were guilty in varying degrees 'of dipping their hands in the presumed honey pot' in the course of the project's development.

That charge was laid on a project developer, an investment firm and a temple over the columbarium project in Choa Chu Kang Road which was later sold off in August 2004 for just $26 million.

It was principal project developer Poh Lian Development which got the ball rolling in court in April last year.

It sued Leong Hwa Monastery and Hok Mee Property. It also took on Hok Chung Construction which built the columbarium and Mr Kek Kim Hok, the principal owner of Hok Mee and Hok Chung.

Through lawyer Tan Lee Cheng from Rajah & Tann, it wanted an accounting of all the money spent, including secret profits allegedly made and owed to the partnership.

Hok Mee, it claimed, failed to provide a full account of the project's expenses and income. It also accused the temple of failing to account for $2.02 million from sales of niches.

After a 41-day hearing spread over nine months, the High Court uncovered irregular deals and ordered more than $4 million returned for all three partners to share on an agreed ratio.

Justice Lee Seiu Kin gave his reasons for his decision on Wednesday, deriding the three for grabbing 'opportunities to claw back as much money as possible early in the project'. Of the trio, Hok Mee was the 'most culpable', the judge said.

Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Straits Times.