CHIANG AI LING (JIANG AILING) v TAN KIAN CHYE & Anor

[2024] SGHC 330 High Court (General Division) 30 December 2024 • HC/OC 561/2023 • 49 min read
6 cases cited Cited by 1 case

Catchwords

Contract — Formation — Whether alleged agreements were sham agreements Tort — Conspiracy — Lawful and unlawful means – Whether claimant suffered loss as a result of the conspiracy

Practice Areas

Contract Tort

Judges (1)

Audrey Lim Delivered

Counsel (12)

Dentons Rodyk & Davidson LLP Firm Harry Elias Partnership Firm Legal Solutions LLC Firm Charmaine Elizabeth Ong Wan Qi Counsel Claimant Cheong Yi Ern Ernest Counsel Defendant Gina Tan Counsel Claimant Ho Jiaxin Counsel Defendant Kevin Kwek Yiu Wing Counsel Claimant Suchitra Ragupathy Counsel Defendant Tan Chau Yee Counsel Defendant Wah Hsien-Wen Terence Counsel Defendant Zhang Weihao Counsel Defendant

Parties (3)

Ang Siew Yan Defendant Chiang Ai Ling (Jiang Ailing) Claimant Tan Kian Chye Defendant

Case Significance

Chiang Ai Ling v Tan Kian Chye and another [2024] SGHC 330 is a reserved judgment of the General Division of the High Court (Originating Claim No 561 of 2023) delivered by Audrey Lim J on 30 December 2024, following hearings in October and November 2024. In HC/OC 561/2023, the plaintiff Chiang Ai Ling (Jiang Ailing) claimed the first defendant, Tan Kian Chye, had failed to pay her $13,727,640.25 as consideration for transferring her shares in RYB Engineering Pte Ltd to him, pursuant to agreements made in 2015 and 2019. Chiang and Tan were formerly married and divorced in 2007, and Tan did not contest Chiang's claim. The second defendant, Ang Siew Yan, is Tan's current wife, who commenced divorce proceedings in December 2022.

Summary

Chiang Ai Ling claimed that her former husband, Tan Kian Chye, had failed to pay her over $13m as consideration for transferring her shares in RYB Engineering Pte Ltd under agreements made in 2015 and 2019, which Tan did not contest, while Tan's current wife, Ang Siew Yan, asserted that the agreements were a sham conceived to reduce the matrimonial assets in her divorce proceedings and counterclaimed for a beneficial interest in shares. The dispute raised issues of whether the agreements were sham agreements and of conspiracy by lawful and unlawful means. The court dismissed Chiang's claim and Ang's counterclaims, finding the 2015 and 2019 agreements to be sham agreements, and granted Ang a declaration that the agreements did not bind her or affect the division of matrimonial assets in her divorce proceedings.

What was the dispute in Chiang Ai Ling v Tan Kian Chye [2024] SGHC 330?

Decided by Audrey Lim J on 30 December 2024, Chiang Ai Ling claimed $13,727,640.25 from Tan Kian Chye for transferring her RYB Engineering shares under 2015 and 2019 agreements. Tan's current wife, Ang Siew Yan, alleged those agreements were a sham to reduce matrimonial assets in her divorce proceedings.

What legal issues did the High Court consider in [2024] SGHC 330?

Audrey Lim J considered whether the alleged 2015 and 2019 agreements between Chiang Ai Ling and Tan Kian Chye were sham agreements, and a tort of conspiracy claim involving lawful and unlawful means, including whether the claimant suffered loss as a result of the alleged conspiracy.

Cases Cited (6)

SG (1)
[2023] SGCA 39
SLR (5)
[1996] 3 SLR(R) 637 [2013] 1 SLR 374 [2019] 1 SLR 696 [2020] 1 SLR 395 [2021] 2 SLR 1054

Cited By (1)

[2025] SGHC(A) 16
KOK KUAN HWA v YAP WING SANG

Referenced in

Legal concepts & references

Contract — Formation Tort — Conspiracy

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.

Read on eLitigation

Source: eLitigation ([2024] SGHC 330)