TAN KHENG YEOW (CHEN QINGYAO) v PUBLIC PROSECUTOR

Case Significance

Christopher Tan J of the High Court General Division dismissed this sentencing appeal on 23 April 2026 in an ex tempore judgment. The appellant, Tan Kheng Yeow (Chen Qingyao), had pleaded guilty before a District Judge to one charge of criminal breach of trust under s 406 of the Penal Code (Cap 224, 1985 Rev Ed), with a further CBT charge taken into consideration for sentencing. He was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment and appealed against sentence in Magistrate's Appeal No 9185 of 2025.

The background involved SGX's introduction in August 2014 of a minimum trading price (MTP) measure requiring Mainboard-listed shares to trade at a volume weighted average price of at least 20 cents, with a one-year transition period. The appellant was then CEO and director of KTL Global Limited, whose shares were trading at around 11 cents; by October 2014 the price had risen only to a maximum of 14.3 cents, still well below the MTP. Christopher Tan J dismissed the appeal, maintaining the 32-month imprisonment term. The appellant was represented by Marina Chin and Jeslyn Tan Yuan Lin of TKQP Law LLP; the prosecution was represented by Darren Sim and Xavier Tan of the Attorney-General's Chambers.