Hin Leong founder O.K. Lim taken into custody after hospital stay to start 13½-year jail term

SINGAPORE – Hin Leong founder Lim Oon Kuin, who was to start his 13½-year prison sentence on April 2, has been taken into custody after he surrendered in hospital.

He was supposed to start his sentence on April 1, following his appeal in the High Court on March 4.

He made an application to defer the commencement of his sentence to April 2, after he was hospitalised with breathing difficulties in Gleneagles Hospital.

A State Courts spokesperson told The Straits Times that the application for a deferment was granted with bail extended until 3pm on April 2 for his surrender at the State Courts.

“However, the appellant was not discharged by 12pm on April 2. Hence, the appellant was required to surrender at Gleneagles Hospital instead and he has since been taken into custody,” added the spokesperson.

Lim was hospitalised on March 28 after his family found him “disoriented in the study, mumbling he had difficulty breathing”, his son, Mr Evan Lim Chee Meng, told ST earlier.

Lim was initially sentenced in November 2024 to 17½ years’ jail for cheating and abetting forgery.

He was found guilty of cheating HSBC of US$111.6 million (S$143.65 million), through Hin Leong employees, by claiming that the oil trading firm had entered into two contracts to sell oil to China Aviation Oil (Singapore) and Unipec Singapore, and then applying for discounting of these purported transactions.

On March 4, the High Court allowed the former tycoon’s appeal, shaving off four years from his original sentence of 17½ years for cheating and abetting forgery.

High Court judge Hoo Sheau Peng said the original jail term of 17½ years was “crushing”, even with the usual one-third remission.

She gave him sentencing discounts on account of substantial restitution made, as well as Lim’s age.

The judge noted that the loss to HSBC on one of the cheating charges was almost halved, from US$56 million to US$29.7 million, after Lim made restitution.