Investors cry foul over $10m start-up
'scam'
They claim
they were tricked into thinking company was doing well
By JALELAH ABU BAKER
THEY thought they were investing in the next Google or Yahoo!, but
after sinking more than $10 million. into a start-up fronted by an
entrepreneur from Hong Kong, a group of Singaporean investors have
now lodged a police report alleging the proposal was a scam.
More than 20 investors had put money into a website
touted to be the first business-to-business portal for suppliers in
the region to market their products in China.
But they say the start-up has failed to take
off.
Among the investors are a former MP, businessmen and
lawyers who requested anonymity to avoid embarrassment. Aged 50 to
60 some are seasoned investors while others are first-timers.
Speaking to The Straits Times, eight of them claimed they
were approached by a Stockbroker, who used to be a trading
representative at a securities firm here, in 2006 and 2007. They
said they trusted him as he was senior and had several years of
experience.
The Hong Kong businessman in question appeared to have a
doctorate and has links with Chinese and Hong Kong officials, they
said.
The company that would run the website was described as a
professional IT firm specialising in e- business solutions
and products. According to a presentation the investors attended
here, it had invested millions of dollars over six years to develop
the website.
The investors bought the company's pre-IPO shares and
were told they would get back manifold returns but were not allowed
to see its accounts. They were also offered Hong Kong carpark space
as collateral.
While most of the investors knew the Hong Kong
businessman through the former stockbroker, one of them, a
51-year-old owner of a materials supplier who invested $500,000 had
met the businessman in Japan several years ago. He later attended a
seminar the businessman has sponsored at a Singapore university.
"He had a way of talking, and making it seem like he knew many
people."
An independent valuation pegged the company's worth at
HK$857 million (S$140 million).
Several international advisory members were said to be
part of the company.
The investors were also told Hong Kong and Macau
entrepreneurs such as Mr Richard Li and Mr Stanley Ho were
investors.
The businessman even appeared on the cover of a Hong Kong
magazine. "But we found out that it is really easy to get
these kinds of magazines produced there, said another investor, a
52-year-old marketing director who put in $300,000.
Late last year, the investors were told the company was
not making money and they could invest in another of his firms.
While some of them acknowledge that any investment carries a
risk, they claimed the businessman had delayed telling them how the
company was doing. They also allege he had tricked them into
thinking it was doing well.
They started filing police reports from February. They
added that they had been called up for interviews with the
Commercial Affairs Department which deals with white-collar
crime here.
The former stockbroker, who previously coordinated
meetings and handled all administrative jobs here for the
businessman, said he himself had made a police report against his
former boss.
He claimed he was paid $10,000 per month. He is now
working in Malaysia as he said he has suffered damage to his
reputation and could not get a job here.
"He forced me to resign, saying the company was not doing
well. He shouted vulgarities at me and scolded me," the former
stockbroker said. Attempts to reach the Hong Kong businessman
failed.
Top of the news, The Straits Times, May 28 2012, Pg A3
