Peter Lim awarded S$210,000 in RTC case

SINGAPORE, (july 28,2010) - In what was widely seen as a landmark case, the Singapore Court of Appeal has awarded businessman Peter Lim damages of S$210,000 in his defamation suit against the owners of the Raffles Town Club.

This is the highest defamation damages ever awarded to a non-political figure in Singapore.

Mr Lim had won his law suit against RTC shareholders Mr Lin Jian Wei and Ms Margaret Tung in one of the longest trials in Singapore.

Mr Lim had claimed that a statement signed by Mr Lin Jian Wei and Ms Margaret Tung was defamatory, as it implied that the club's financial difficulties were due to mismanagement by the original directors, of whom he was one.

The court awarded Mr Lim $140,000 in general damages and $70,000 in aggravated damages.

Popularly known as the Remisier King, Mr Lim controls key stakes in several listed companies in Singapore including palm oil group Wilmar which catapulted him into the billionaire club.