Hin Leong founder charged with abetment of forgery for cheating

SINGAPORE -  Embattled oil tycoon Lim Oon Kuin was charged in court on Friday (August 14) with abetment of forgery for the purpose of cheating. He is out on a $3 million court bail put up by a guarantor. 

Better known as O.K. Lim, the 78-year-old founder of Hin Leong Trading was accused of instigating Freddy Tan Jie Ren, a contracts executive of the company to forge a document purportedly issued by UT Singapore Services Pte Ltd.

According to charge sheets, Lim allegedly instructed Tan to make an “ITT certificate” or an Inter-Tank transfer certificate on the letterhead of UT Singapore Services. 

The document stated that Hin Leong had transferred 1.05 million barrels of gasoil to China Aviation Oil (Singapore) Corporation on March 18. 

The document was then allegedly used to secure more than US$56 million in trade financing from a financial institution, the Police said in a statement. 

The charge was made following investigations into Hin Leong by white-collar crime agency Commercial Affairs Department. Investigations are ongoing into other offences allegedly committed by Lim.

If convicted, the offence of abetment of forgery for the purpose of cheating, carries a jail term of up to 10 years and a fine.

ALSO READ: Hin Leong Trading's $1.14b cover-up scandal: What Singaporeans need to know

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
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