TWO former senior employees of UOB Kay Hian Private Limited (UOBKH) were charged on Wednesday for allegedly lying to the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) in relation to reports on a then Catalist aspirant. Lan Kang Ming, 38, and Wee Toon Lee, 34, each face three charges of providing MAS with false information in October 2018 in relation to due diligence reports on an unidentified company applying to list on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange. MAS said in a media statement on Wednesday that it was performing an onsite inspection of UOBKH between June and August 2018, to assess the latter's controls, policies and procedures in relation to its role as an issue manager for Initial Public Offering (IPOs). During the examination, Lan and Wee were said to have provided different versions of a due diligence report relating to background checks on a company applying to be listed on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange. UOBKH had acted as the issue manager
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Move by major shareholder deals blow to talk of takeover
By Nisha Ramchandani
16 July 2014
Shares in medical devices maker Biosensors International Group lost seven cents to close at 86.5 cents yesterday after substantial shareholder CB Medical Holdings sold off nearly 40 million shares.
The counter slipped to a low of 83 cents in trading yesterday before finally closing at 86.5 cents, with 35.84 million shares changing hands.
Owned by China-based fund Citic Private Equity, CB Medical divested some 39.5 million shares at an average price of US$0.84 per share. This cuts its stake in Biosensors from 21.78 per cent to 19.46 per cent.
In a note to clients, CIMB said that the fund could be pulling out of Biosensors, putting to rest earlier speculation of a takeover offer. CIMB has a “hold” call on the stock, with a target price of $1.01.
In February, Bloomberg had reported that Citic was considering buying out the medical devices maker. The China-based fund had acquired the stake in Biosensors last year from Shandong Weigao Group Medical Polymer Co.
“We do not like the management changes and restructuring within Biosensors,” CIMB said in the note. “Also, management has hinted that they are going back into the balloon catheter market. If we go along the line with what the medical world is thinking, (a) new wave of balloon catheters could spell the end to stents. That is the reason medical giants from Abbott Lab, Metronic, Boston Scientific and Johnson & Johnson are focusing their efforts in the balloon catheters market.”
It noted that while the company’s fundamentals haven’t turned bad overnight, its corporate governance has taken a “big hit”.
For FY14, Biosensors reported a revenue of US$323.8 million, down 4 per cent year-on-year as product revenue growth was offset by lower licensing and royalty revenue.
Net profit for the financial year ended March 31, 2014, worked out to US$40.6 million (including exceptional items), down from US$115.5 million previously.