ARI INVESTMENT LIMITED & Anor v ACCELERA PRECIOUS TIMBER AND STRATEGIC AGRICULTURE LIMITED & 2 Ors

Case Significance

Ari Investment Ltd and another v Accelera Precious Timber and Strategic Agriculture Ltd and others [2024] SGHC(A) 31 was decided by the Appellate Division of the High Court in Civil Appeal No 3 of 2024, with Woo Bih Li JAD delivering the grounds of decision of the court alongside See Kee Oon JAD and Philip Jeyaretnam J, heard on 5 August 2024 and decided on 8 October 2024. The appellants were Ari Investment Limited and Asian Infrastructure Limited; the respondents included Accelera Precious Timber and Strategic Agriculture Limited, Dennis Kam Thai Leong and Tan E-Lin, Eileen.

The appellants alleged that Choo Han Teck J, a Judge of the General Division of the High Court, had erred in applying the extended principle of res judicata to dismiss their claim in HC/S 1229/2020 (see Ari Investments Ltd and another v Accelera Precious Timber and Strategic Agriculture Ltd and others [2023] SGHC 295). They denied having had sufficient information to raise certain issues in an earlier suit commenced by the second appellant against the second respondent. Having considered the parties' submissions, the court agreed with the Judge's assessment of the evidence and his decision to dismiss the suit, and accordingly dismissed the appeal. The appellants were represented by DennisMathiew, including Gerard Vincent Nicholas, Abiramee Ghandhidass, Hillary Cheah Si-min, Ng Jun Jie Justin and Probin Stephan Dass; the respondents by Fullerton Law Chambers LLC, including Samuel Ang Rong En and Tham Wei Chern.