Lim Oon Kuin, the founder of collapsed oil trading company Hin Leong Trading, had his prison sentence reduced by four years after a partially successful appeal in Singapore’s High Court, according to news reports on Wednesday (4 March).
Justice Hoo Sheau Peng rejected Lim’s appeal against his conviction but agreed to shorten his original 17.5 years sentence, describing the term as “crushing” given his advanced age and the low likelihood that he would reoffend.
Lim, 85, widely known as OK Lim, attended the hearing in a wheelchair and followed the proceedings through a Mandarin interpreter.
His defence team, led by Senior Counsel Davinder Singh, had earlier submitted that the court should exercise judicial mercy, citing the case involving businessman Ong Beng Seng. However, Justice Hoo rejected the comparison, describing it as “misguided” and ruling that Lim’s case did not qualify as exceptional circumstances that would justify judicial mercy.
Addressing concerns about Lim’s health, Justice Hoo said that prison authorities were aware of his risk of falling and would make the necessary arrangements in jail.
Lim’s lawyers were granted a four-week adjournment to review the written judgment and allow him to attend a medical appointment. He reportedly suffered a fall late last year and has since experienced difficulty focusing his vision.
Justice Hoo extended Lim’s SGD 4 million bail, secured by his wife, and ordered him to surrender at the State Courts on 1 April.
Lim was convicted in May 2024 of two charges of cheating the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and one count of abetting forgery that proceeded to trial out of a total of 130 criminal charges.
These three charges concern two fraudulent discounting applications made by Hin Leong to the Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC), pursuant to which HSBC disbursed a total of USD 111,683,939 to Hin Leong.
Related: Hin Leong Founder O.K. Lim sentenced to over 17 years in jail for cheating, forgery
Related: Singapore: Defence lawyer Davinder Singh says judge erred in convicting OK Lim of cheating
Photo credit: Manifold Times
Published: 5 March, 2026
