Category Archives: Conveyancing / Legal

Man sues lawyer to recover $850k lost in property deal

A BUSINESSMAN who lost his investment in a property deal has sued the lawyer involved in the deal to get back $850,000.

Mr Satinder Singh Garcha said he was talked into investing $1 million and found after a week that only $50,000 was left.

In the lawsuit, which opened in the High Court yesterday, he alleged that the lawyer in question, Mr Uthayasurian Sidambaram, was instrumental in the loss of that money.

He claimed that Mr Uthayasurian was grossly negligent and had failed to advise him of the conflicts of interest in the case.

The lawyer, who had 18 years’ experience, was suspended from practising for a year by a Court of Three Judges in May, in disciplinary proceedings over the same case.

In its written judgment, the court warned lawyers to avoid the pitfalls of situations in which they represent multiple clients in the same case.

Mr Uthayasurian had acted for multiple parties involved in a project to build on a plot of land in Tanglin Hill owned by the Brunei government.

Mr Singh not only put in the money in May 2006, but also authorised an undischarged bankrupt, Mr Louis Ang, to disburse the funds.

A week later, he found that most of the money had gone to other parts of the project and legal costs. Continue reading

Not remorseful? Prosecution seeks stiffer sentence

Mr Lee Kok Leong had vandalised his neighbours’ padlocks over an en bloc sale dispute. — ST PHOTO: SHAHRIYA YAHAYA

THE former management committee chairman of Laguna Park has already been fined $1,200 for committing mischief – vandalising his neighbours’ padlocks.

But prosecution lawyers have pounced on comments he allegedly made to reporters – that he was not remorseful – to push for a stiffer sentence for him.

Yesterday, two reporters were put on the stand so they could tell the court what Mr Lee Kok Leong, 62, said to them.

The general manager of a logistics firm had pleaded guilty to two counts of mischief and was fined in April. He could have been fined up to $10,000 and sentenced to a year in jail on each charge.

He committed the acts of vandalism in August last year amid a row among Laguna Park residents over whether the condo should be sold en bloc. Continue reading