LEOW HOCK SOON & Anor v CHEW EIK KHOON & 2 Ors

[2026] SGHC 117 High Court (General Division) 26 May 2026 • HC/OC 662/2023 • 88 min read

29 cases cited (19 SG, 10 foreign)

Catchwords

Companies — Oppression — Standing Contract — Misrepresentation — Fraudulent Trusts — Constructive trusts — Institutional constructive trust — Fraud

Practice Areas

Companies Contract Trusts

Judges (1)

Sushil Nair Delivered

Counsel (7)

CHP Law LLC Firm Edmond Pereira Law Corporation Firm PDLegal LLC Firm Ivan Lee Tze Chuen Counsel Plaintiff Joshua Chia Han Sheng Counsel Defendant Pereira Edmond Avethas Counsel Plaintiff Quah Wei Sheng Danny Counsel Defendant

Parties (5)

Chartworth Enterprise Singapore Pte. Ltd. Defendant Chew Eik Khoon Defendant Leow Hock Soon Plaintiff Phang Chu Mau Defendant Toh Teck Guan Plaintiff

Case Significance

Leow Hock Soon and another v Chew Eik Khoon and others [2026] SGHC 117 is a High Court General Division judgment delivered by Sushil Nair J on 26 May 2026, following a multi-day trial heard across July and September 2025. The claimant, Leow Hock Soon, and his co-claimant, Toh Teck Guan, were former shareholders and directors of Chartworth Enterprise Singapore Pte Ltd, bringing claims for fraudulent misrepresentation, minority oppression, and breach of trust against co-shareholders Chew Eik Khoon and Phang Chu Mau. Toh subsequently withdrew his claims; Leow proceeded alone. Sushil Nair J allowed the claim in part, finding breach of trust established on the balance of probabilities, but dismissed the claims for fraudulent misrepresentation and oppression. Edmond Pereira Law Corporation and PDLegal LLC (Pereira Edmond Avethas, Ivan Lee Tze Chuen) acted for the claimant; CHP Law LLC (Joshua Chia Han Sheng, Quah Wei Sheng Danny) acted for the defendants. The judgment draws on 29 authorities (19 Singapore, 10 foreign) under the Companies Act.

Summary

Leow Hock Soon brought a claim against his former co-shareholders and directors of Chartworth Enterprise Singapore Pte Ltd, alleging fraudulent misrepresentation, minority oppression, and breach of trust arising from the defendants' unauthorised withdrawals from a joint account for personal investments. The court found that Leow had not established fraudulent misrepresentation or oppression but succeeded on the breach of trust claim. The defendants were jointly and severally ordered to pay Leow $787,500 (25% of $3.15m withdrawn for investments) and $200,000 (25% of $800,000 withdrawn for a loan reimbursement).

What was decided in Leow Hock Soon and another v Chew Eik Khoon and others [2026] SGHC 117?

On 26 May 2026, Sushil Nair J of the High Court allowed Leow Hock Soon's breach of trust claim against former co-shareholders Chew Eik Khoon and Phang Chu Mau of Chartworth Enterprise Singapore Pte Ltd, but dismissed the claims for fraudulent misrepresentation and minority oppression under the Companies Act.

Statutes Cited

Companies Act (Cap 50)

s 216 s 216(1)

Cases Cited (29)

SG (3)

[2005] SGCA 4 [2016] SGHC 177 [2023] SGHC 361

SLR (16)

[2000] 1 SLR(R) 542 [2001] 2 SLR(R) 435 [2005] 3 SLR(R) 263 [2005] 3 SLR(R) 283 [2013] 4 SLR 308 [2015] 1 SLR 1097 [2016] 3 SLR 1222 [2018] 2 SLR 441 [2019] 4 SLR 714 [2019] 5 SLR 593 [2020] 1 SLR 327 [2021] 5 SLR 405 [2022] 2 SLR 457 [2023] 3 SLR 533 [2024] 5 SLR 1234 [2025] 1 SLR 1083

UK (9)

[1941] 2 All ER 205 [1983] 1 All ER 583 [1996] AC 669 [1996] Ch 217 [1999] 1 All ER 400 [2003] EWHC 1637 [2012] EWHC 10 [2017] AC 142 [2017] EWHC 3397

MY (1)

[1996] 1 MLJ 113

Judgment

Read the full judgment on the official Singapore Courts portal.

Read on eLitigation

Source: eLitigation ([2026] SGHC 117)