SC wins insider trading case against Magnum Corp ex-director

KUALA LUMPUR: The High Court has declared that Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) had successfully proven an insider trading case against Lim Chiew, a former independent director of Magnum Corp Bhd.
Justice Datin Azizah Nawawi ordered Lim to pay RM1.24 million, which amounted to three times the profits he earned as a result of the insider trading. In addition, the High Court ordered Lim to pay the SC a civil penalty of RM50,000 and RM75,000 in costs.
In the suit which was filed in 2005, SC claimed that Lim had breached section 89E (2) of the Securities Industry Act 1983 when he acquired 590,000 Bolton shares on July 12, 1999 while in possession of material non-public information.
In its decision, the court agreed with SC that Lim was in possession of  information relating to Bolton's proposed acquisition of a 30.3% stake in Magnum Corp from Multi-Purpose Holdings Bhd when he made the purchase. The announcement relating to Bolton's acquisition was subsequently made through the-then Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange.