Hin Leong founder fails to show up in court for third time

Hin Leong Trading founder Lim Oon Kuin did not show up at the State Courts yesterday to take 23 new charges of forgery-related offences as he had again obtained a medical certificate (MC) stating he was unfit to attend.

That meant the 79-year-old could not be tendered the new charges for a third time on account of his health issues.

The former oil tycoon - better known as O.K. Lim - was deemed unfit to attend yesterday morning's session by his doctor as he has been diagnosed with acute and chronic sinusitis.

This will require surgery, but Lim has not had an operation as he had been on blood thinner medication Plavix, according to defence lawyer Navin Thevar of Davinder Singh Chambers.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Navin Naidu told the court that all 23 cautioned statements were served on Lim on April 12. These refer to statements he made in his defence at the time that the charges were presented.

The new charges were not tendered as planned on March 29 because the Commercial Affairs Department was unable to complete recording Lim's cautioned statements as he had said that he was unwell.

District Judge Terence Tay earlier this month ruled that Lim's attendance is required if fresh charges are being served to him, or if the investigation officer makes a request due to applications made by the prosecution.

Lim's lawyer asked the court yesterday for a two-week adjournment to give his client time to recover.

But Judge Tay responded: "Your letter says your client is required to go for surgery, and you are asking the court and prosecution to wait until when? When will you get updates?

"What I have is an open-ended letter with no clarification."

The DPP objected to the defence's request for a two-week adjournment and asked the judge to consider whether Lim should be made to attend court yesterday.

The prosecution pointed out that the medical memo was dated Wednesday even though Lim's doctor had last seen him on April 22 - six days earlier.

DPP Naidu added: "At the last mention (on April 8), Lim was also absent because he was on a five-day stay-home notice. I placed on record then there were issues with the SHN. He saw the same doctor on a Saturday (April 3) but the SHN commenced one day after he saw the doctor (on April 4)."

Had the SHN commenced on April 3, it would have ended on April 7, and not April 8, the date of the last mention, the DPP said.

But Judge Tay noted: "As far as the court is concerned, I'm not in a position to override the position of doctors."

The DPP called the defence's request "unjustified" and asked for the hearing to be fixed for today.

But Mr Navin argued: "My client is 79. He suffers from a slew of chronic medical conditions and is generally in poor health... The fact that he is unfit today, it may be prudent to give us a few days."

Judge Tay disagreed. "He is unfit today. The MC doesn't say he will be unfit tomorrow."

The hearing is set for 9am today at the State Courts.

Lim and the bailor are to be present, Judge Tay said.

His $3 million court bail was extended yesterday.

Lim was charged with two counts of abetment of forgery for the purpose of cheating in August and September last year.

He is accused of instigating a Hin Leong employee to forge an e-mail and another document in order to obtain more than US$56 million (S$74 million) in trade financing.

Hin Leong collapsed last year after the oil price plunge triggered a debt default that exposed years of hidden losses and alleged fraud by the Lim family.

The firm was wound up last month, after three bidders walked away from a deal to buy Hin Leong and two related companies as a combined entity.