Hyflux trial: Olivia Lum and 5 co-accused will not be testifying as judge calls on defence

The prosecution has concluded its case over the alleged failure in 2011 by then senior Hyflux personnel to tell investors key information about the Tuaspring water desalination project.

Hyflux founder Olivia Lum Ooi Lin at the State Courts on Sep 21, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)

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SINGAPORE: Former Hyflux chief executive officer Olivia Lum Ooi Lin and five other former leaders of the homegrown water treatment firm will not be testifying in their trial for allegedly omitting details about selling electricity as part of the Tuaspring water desalination project.

The prosecution has concluded its case in the long-running trial, which began in August 2025.

On Wednesday (Oct 21), lawyers for the six accused person outlined their approach to presenting their case for the defence in court after stating that they would not be making submissions that they had "no case to answer".

This refers to when an accused person on trial argues, at the end of the prosecution's case, that there is no case for them to even answer in their defence and calls on the judge to dismiss the case without the defence having to open its case.

Principal District Judge Toh Han Li then called on the six accused to give their defence.

The lawyers for Lum, 65, and her five co-accused said they would not be testifying in their own defence, but would jointly call on an expert witness.

A conference was fixed for Nov 23 to schedule the next set of trial dates.

After that, the defence will open its case.

The trial opened in August 2025 , four years after the High Court ordered Hyflux to wind up.

Lum's five co-accused are: Former chief financial officer Cho Wee Peng, 57, and former independent directors Teo Kiang Kok, 70, Christopher Murugasu, 67, Gay Chee Cheong, 70, and Lee Joo Hai, 70.

Of the six, ex-CEO Lum faces the most charges, with the prosecution proceeding on two charges under the Securities and Futures Act:

For making an offer of S$200 million (US$157 million) worth of securities to the public with omissions about the electricity sales.

For consenting, as CEO, to Hyflux's intentional failure to notify the securities exchange about information relating to the electricity sales.

Another four charges against Lum were stood down or set aside while this trial went ahead.

Cho is on trial for one charge: for conniving in his capacity as CFO for Hyflux to intentionally fail to notify the securities exchange about the information related to the electricity sales.

The remaining four former independent directors face two similar charges each: For the same omission of information in an April 2011 offer information statement, and for their alleged neglect as directors, such that Hyflux intentionally failed to notify the securities exchange about the electricity sales.

Hyflux, a publicly listed company, had pitched the project to the market as its second and largest seawater desalination plant in Tuas, but allegedly omitted that it would fund the sale of water at a very low price to national water agency PUB with its new business of selling electricity from a power plant it would build.

The unsuccessful foray into Singapore's power market contributed to the company's collapse and affected about 34,000 investors who held perpetual securities and preference shares, and were owed a total of S$900 million, according to the prosecution.

A seventh person in the case, former Hyflux independent director Rajsekar Kuppuswami Mitta, was fined S$90,000 in 2025 after pleading guilty.

Lum is being defended by lawyers from Davinder Singh Chambers, Cho is defended by a team from Rajah & Tann, while Shook Lin & Bok represents the four former independent directors.

If convicted of consenting to Hyflux's intentional failure to disclose the electricity sale information to the securities exchange, Lum could be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$250,000, or both.

For making an offer of securities to the public with omissions about the electricity sales, she could be jailed for up to two years, fined up to S$150,000, or both.

The former independent directors face similar penalties for each of their respective charges.

If convicted of conniving in how Hyflux failed to notify the securities exchange about the electricity sales, Cho could be jailed for up to seven years, fined up to S$250,000, or both.

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检方已完成对 2011 年 Hyflux 高级人员涉嫌未能向投资者提供有关 Tuaspring 海水淡化项目的关键信息的指控。

2026年9月21日，凯发集团创始人林爱琳在国家法院出庭。（图片：CNA/Ili Mansor）

这段音频是由人工智能工具生成的。

新加坡：前凯发集团首席执行官林爱琳和其他五位前领导人将不会在他们被指控隐瞒有关大华泉海水淡化项目售电细节的审判中作证。

检方已结束了这场始于 2025 年 8 月的漫长审判的举证。

周三（10 月 21 日），六名被告的律师概述了他们在法庭上为被告辩护的策略，此前他们表示不会提出“他们没有罪要答辩”的论点。

这指的是，在控方举证完毕后，被告人辩称自己没有任何需要辩护的理由，并要求法官在辩方无需开庭陈述的情况下驳回此案。

首席地方法官杜汉利随后要求六名被告进行辩护。

65岁的林女士及其五名同案被告的律师表示，他们不会出庭为自己辩护，但会共同传唤一名专家证人。

会议定于11月23日举行，以确定下一批庭审日期。

之后，辩方将开始陈述案情。

该案于 2025 年 8 月开庭审理，此前四年，高等法院下令 Hyflux 解散。

与林某一同被起诉的五名被告分别是：前首席财务官赵伟鹏（57岁）、前独立董事张强国（70岁）、克里斯托弗·穆鲁加苏（67岁）、盖志昌（70岁）和李柱海（70岁）。

六名被告中，前首席执行官林荣福面临的指控最多，检方根据《证券及期货法》对其提出两项指控：

因向公众发行价值 2 亿新元（1.57 亿美元）的证券，却隐瞒了电力销售情况。

作为首席执行官，他默许了 Hyflux 故意不向证券交易所通报与电力销售有关的信息。

在本次审判进行期间，对卢某的另外四项指控被搁置或撤销。

Cho 因一项指控受审：他作为 Hyflux 的首席财务官，串谋故意不向证券交易所通报与电力销售有关的信息。

其余四名前独立董事均面临两项类似的指控：一是他们在 2011 年 4 月的要约信息声明中遗漏了相同的信息；二是他们作为董事涉嫌玩忽职守，导致 Hyflux 故意未向证券交易所通报电力销售情况。

Hyflux是一家上市公司，该公司向市场推介该项目是其位于大士的第二座也是最大的海水淡化厂，但据称该公司隐瞒了其将利用新建发电厂的售电业务，以极低的价格向国家水务局（PUB）出售淡水的事实。

据检方称，该公司进军新加坡电力市场的失败导致了其破产，影响了约 34,000 名持有永久证券和优先股的投资者，总共被拖欠 9 亿新元。

该案的第七名被告，前凯发集团独立董事拉杰谢卡·库普斯瓦米·米塔，在认罪后于 2025 年被罚款 9 万新元。

Lum的辩护律师来自Davinder Singh Chambers律师事务所，Cho的辩护律师来自Rajah & Tann律师事务所，而Shook Lin & Bok律师事务所则代表四位前独立董事。

如果被判犯有默许凯发集团故意不向证券交易所披露电力销售信息的罪行，林某可能被判处最高七年监禁、最高罚款 25 万新元，或两者并罚。

她因向公众发行证券时隐瞒电力销售情况而可能被判处最高两年监禁、最高罚款 15 万新元，或两者并罚。

前独立董事们因各自的指控将面临类似的处罚。

如果赵某被判犯有串谋罪，罪名是未向证券交易所通报 Hyflux 的电力销售情况，他可能被判处最高七年监禁、最高 25 万新元罚款，或两者并罚。

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