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Regulator also flags risks of financial exclusion as some ex-offenders being denied banking services ONLY connect. This perhaps sums up the potential behind the use of data analytics and information-sharing within the financial industry in combating financial crime, with the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) looking to ramp up efforts in this area. Speaking at a financial crime seminar held by the Association of Banks in Singapore, Ho Hern Shin, MAS' assistant managing director of the banking and insurance group, said the regulator has applied data analytics to the suspicious transaction reports (STRs), of which there are more than 25,000 annually. These STRs are flagged by the financial institutions due to suspicions over illicit fund flows. "Applying data analytics to this data set has enabled us to identify suspicious fund-flow networks, and focus our supervisory attention on networks of higher-risk accounts, entities or activities," she said. ...

Mineral and resources company Abterra was suspended from trading on the Singapore Exchange (SGX) on Monday morning, after its request for an extension on time to hold its annual general meeting was rejected by the bourse operator in a letter received on July 13. Abterra had asked in April to push back the meeting deadline by four months, to Aug 31 at the latest, after Mazars LLP sought to resign as the company's statutory auditors while citing outstanding audit matters at a 51 per cent-owned Abterra subsidiary. But the SGX "noted that sufficient time had passed since the announcement was made and there continues to be no certainty on the timeline" for the appointment of new auditors, the finalisation of audited statements for the year to end-Dec 2017, and the convening of the annual general meeting, Abterra's board of directors has now said. The counter will remain suspended until the SGX is satisfied that the company is complying with the requirement to...

Magnus Energy is placing out 2.53 billion new shares at 0.09 Singapore cent apiece to four parties to raise S$2.28 million in cash. The four individuals are Lee Thiam Seng, Ong Boon Tiong Daniel, Low Chin Yen and Liu Bin. According to the company's filing to the Singapore Exchange, they are "private investors who have expressed their interest in taking up new shares in the company for investment purposes". The issue price represents a discount of approximately 10 per cent to the volume-weighted average price of S$0.001 for trades done on June 28, the last full market day with trade preceding the date on which the subscription agreement was signed. Magnus Energy's rationale is to strengthen its financial and working capital position. The company intends to use the net proceeds for general working capital for corporate expenditures, and as funds for a microalgae oil cultivation project. The shares represent approximately 20.05 per cent of the total num...

InnoPac Holdings on Wednesday said it received a letter of demand from Saxo Bank, which is seeking a payment of S$14.69 million on negative balances under accounts maintained by two of Innopac's subsidiaries - Heritage Investment Corporation and Wang Da Investment. The letter of demand, dated June 1, was sent on behalf of the Danish bank by Rajah & Tann Singapore LLP. In a filing with the Singapore Exchange, Innopac said that the Danish bank alleges the company is liable for the claim on the purported basis of a Memorandum of Understanding dated Dec 24, 2013 despite the said negative account balances being incurred by the subsidiaries without any guarantee by Innopac. The company added that at present, no legal proceedings have been commenced by Saxo against Innopac, and "the group will be evaluating the basis and merits of the claim and will take appropriate action accordingly". Pending the resolution of the claim, the board is of the view that the comp...

Charles Madhavan's suing over wrongful termination; company yet to address other concerns raised by him Almost a month after Magnus Energy parted ways with its newly appointed managing director and disclosed that the executive raised concerns about past transactions, the company has yet to tell shareholders what those concerns involved. In an announcement on Monday, Magnus said Charles Madhavan had on June 22 served the company a writ of summons in relation to his claim for wrongful termination. Mr Madhavan had raised questions about loans made by the company; a loan from chief executive Luke Ho; and a luxury car bought for a key management personnel. Magnus announced on May 28 the cessation of Mr Madhavan in his executive role, citing "differences with management and board". The Catalist-listed company, whose core business is in oilfield equipment supplies and services, also said at the time that Mr Madhavan had highlighted to the company's ...

Catalist-listed Magnus Energy Group said on Thursday that it has received a letter of demand from the lawyers representing its former managing director Charles Madhavan, "notifying the company of his claim for wrongful termination". Magnus Energy on Monday announced that it had terminated Mr Madhavan's position with the company, effective May 26, 2018. It said then that it had done so because of "differences with management and board" and "cessation pursuant to contract". The company also said then that it would convene an extraordinary general meeting to seek its shareholders' approval to remove Mr Madhavan as a director of the company. "Mr Madhavan has highlighted to (Magnus Energy's) sponsor some of his personal concerns regarding some of the company's past transactions. The company is in the midst of reviewing and will be responding to the sponsor's queries," its announcement then had said. Magnus Energy...

Investors caught by the 2013 penny stock crash may finally get the answers they have been waiting for. With trial dates expected to be announced shortly, Singapore's High Court could soon hear arguments about "wash trading", forced selling and who held the control over almost 200 trading accounts as it gets set to try the three individuals implicated in the saga. The historic trial - prosecutors have described the investigations as Singapore's largest securities fraud probe - will take place on a scale rarely seen in market-related cases. The defendants are looking at more than 370 charges altogether: Malaysian businessman John Soh Chee Wen faces 189 charges, former Ipco International chief executive Quah Su-Ling faces 178 and former interim Ipco CEO Goh Hin Calm faces six. Those charges relate to allegations that they manipulated the stocks of Blumont Group, Asiasons Capital (now called Attilan Group) and LionGold Corp (collectively known as BAL). Those...