SINGAPORE, May 7 — The fourth witness for the joint trial over the 2013 penny stocks crash insisted that she was taking orders only from the second accused person Quah Su-Ling although in some occasions no trade confirmations were made.
Angelia Poon, a remisier at OCBC Securities Pte Ltd since 2007, was the trading representative (TR) for 12 accounts belonging to six account holders.
They were pre-existing accounts opened under different TRs which were then transferred to Poon by Tracy Ooi who also informed her that they were “good accounts” as the losses were settled promptly by Su-Ling.
Poon who was called in on the 10th day of the trial was cross-examined by Su-Ling’s counsel Philip Fong Yeng Fatt of Eversheds Harry Elias LLP before High Court Judge Hoo Sheau Peng.
By referring to her short-messaging service (SMS) records, Fong highlighted some occasions in 2013 where no confirmations were made via the service to Su-Ling although trades were fully executed in two of the accounts.
Fong: Since you didn’t send any SMS to Su-Ling to confirm the trade this means that she didn’t instruct the trades in those accounts. Some else had done that?
Poon: I do not take instructions from other people other than Su-Ling for these six accounts.
Earlier, in her conditioned statement, Poon said that after executing a trade, she would “always” provide Su-Ling with a trade confirmation.
“If I executed a trade immediately at market price after receiving instructions from QSL over the phone, I would provide the trade confirmation in the same phone call. If I received an order to queue and the trade was executed later, I would provide a trade confirmation when the trade was completed, via SMS,” she said.
Pressing on, Fong asked Poon whether she wanted to change her evidence as she used a word “generally” in her answer during the cross-examination session, instead of “always” provide trade confirmations.
Fong: So you wish to change your evidence?
Poon: I just wish to use the word generally rather than use the word always.
Fong: So you like to change evidence. Let me ask again.
Poon: There is no need to change evidence… sometimes you just forget.
Judge Hoo: You are changing the word “always” to “generally”. It is a change.
Fong: His Honour has told you that if you want to change... if you are using the word “generally” instead of “always” you are changing the evidence. Do you understand that?
Poon: I am not changing the evidence. It is just a word.
Fong: Ms Poon, you realise that you are giving evidence in court.
The joint-trial involves Su-Ling and her co-accused Malaysian businessman John Soh both of whom pleaded not guilty to 178 and 189 charges respectively in relation to Asiasons, Blumont, and LionGold’s stocks crash.
The hearing continues tomorrow. — Bernama
