Kwa Kim Li ordered to pay S$13,000 in penalties over misconduct in handling of wills
#1

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...ng-3478911

Lee Kuan Yew's lawyer ordered to pay S$13,000 in penalties over misconduct in handling of wills

A disciplinary tribunal found that Madam Kwa Kim Li had failed to safeguard the late Mr Lee's confidentiality, and had misled his children Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang in an email.

SINGAPORE: Mr Lee Kuan Yew's former lawyer was on Friday (May 5) ordered to pay a total of S$13,000 in penalties in relation to misconduct in handling the wills of the founding prime minister of Singapore.

A disciplinary tribunal ordered Madam Kwa Kim Li to pay a S$5,000 penalty for failing to "scrupulously safeguard" the late Mr Lee's confidentiality while handling his will; and S$8,000 for misleading his children Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling in an email response to their queries.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee are siblings of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mdm Kwa, the managing partner of law firm Lee & Lee, had prepared a total of six wills for Mr Lee Kuan Yew between Aug 20, 2011, and Nov 2, 2012.

She was not involved in the preparation of a seventh and final will, which was executed on Dec 17, 2013 with the involvement of Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Ms Lee Suet Fern, a lawyer.

The final will restored equal shares of the estate among Mr Lee Kuan Yew's three children, and reintroduced a clause asking for his house at 38 Oxley Road to be demolished.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away on March 23, 2015.


Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee, as executors of their father's estate, later made four complaints against Mdm Kwa. Two of these were eventually referred to the tribunal. 

The two complaints are that Mdm Kwa had had breached privilege and duties of confidentiality by sending emails with records of communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew to all three children, even though PM Lee was not an executor of the estate; and that Mdm Kwa had given false and misleading information to the executors in her emails.

The Law Society took charge of the complaint involving breach of confidentiality, while Mr Lee Hsien Yang took conduct of the complaint involving misleading information.

Both complaints relate to two emails - dated Jun 4, 2015, and Jun 22, 2015 - that Mdm Kwa sent in response to queries from PM Lee and Dr Lee.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Ms Lee are not in Singapore, having left after declining to attend a police interview in July 2022 relating to lying in judicial proceedings about the late Mr Lee's will.
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COMPLAINT UNDER LEE HSIEN YANG


Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who was represented by senior counsel Abraham Vergis, charged that Mdm Kwa misled himself and his sister Dr Lee in emails dated Jun 4 and Jun 22, 2015 - by failing to disclose her communications with their father between November 2013 and Dec 13, 2013, and/or by falsely representing that the late Mr Lee had never instructed her to change his will dated Nov 2, 2012.

The tribunal did not find that the charge was made out in relation to the email dated Jun 4, 2015. It found that there was insufficient evidence to prove that there was any query that required a reference to the November and December 2013 communications.

However, the tribunal agreed with Mr Lee Hsien Yang that the Jun 22, 2015 email contained a request for information relating to the circumstances leading to the execution of the seventh will.

The tribunal found that in her email, Mdm Kwa did not refer to her communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew between November 2013 and Dec 13, 2013, which would have contained the related information.

Instead, Mdm Kwa said that the late Mr Lee did not instruct her to change his will after signing the sixth version; and that she learned about the seventh will from others.

Mdm Kwa argued that her statement in the email was true and complete as she was not involved in the preparation or execution of the seventh will.

She also argued that her communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew in November and December 2013 were immaterial.

But the tribunal did not agree.

"The issues are quite simple. The first question is whether the November/December 2013 communications should have been disclosed in response to a query on the background to the signing of (the seventh will)," it said.

"The second question is whether the omission to disclose made the response misleading. The third question is whether it was true that (Mdm Kwa) did not receive any instructions to change (Mr Lee Kuan Yew's) will."

Mdm Kwa's failure to disclose the 2013 communications, and her statement that the late Mr Lee did not instruct her to change his will, gave the "clear and unequivocal impression that (she) had no knowledge as to how (the seventh will) came about", said the tribunal.

It added that the omission was misleading and that Mdm Kwa's statement that Mr Lee Kuan Yew did not instruct her to change his will was untrue.

The tribunal assessed the harm from this misconduct to be low and determined a penalty of S$8,000 to be appropriate. It also ordered Mdm Kwa to pay Mr Lee Hsien Yang S$12,000 in costs and S$9,182.29 in disbursements.

For both complaints, the tribunal found that there was no cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action.
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#2

https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...ng-3478911

The Law Society's charges alleged that Mdm Kwa had disclosed confidential information to PM Lee - who was not entitled to the details - by including him in an email.

She also argued that her communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew in November and December 2013 were immaterial.

But the tribunal did not agree.

"The issues are quite simple. The first question is whether the November/December 2013 communications should have been disclosed in response to a query on the background to the signing of (the seventh will)," it said.

"The second question is whether the omission to disclose made the response misleading. The third question is whether it was true that (Mdm Kwa) did not receive any instructions to change (Mr Lee Kuan Yew's) will."

Mdm Kwa's failure to disclose the 2013 communications, and her statement that the late Mr Lee did not instruct her to change his will, gave the "clear and unequivocal impression that (she) had no knowledge as to how (the seventh will) came about", said the tribunal.

It added that the omission was misleading and that Mdm Kwa's statement that Mr Lee Kuan Yew did not instruct her to change his will was untrue.
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#3

Slap on the wrist only

Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine Big Grin
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#4

(10-05-2023, 11:19 PM)forum456 Wrote:  https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...ng-3478911


It added that the omission was misleading and that Mdm Kwa's statement that Mr Lee Kuan Yew did not instruct her to change his will was untrue.

why she lied that LKY did not instruct her to change his will ?

how can a lawyer refuse to change a will when the client wants her to change the will ?
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#5

Banana court verdict.
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#6

.

Suggesting MDM Kwa Kim Li is qualified to become the Attorney General.
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#7

(10-05-2023, 11:59 PM)Alice Alicia Wrote:  Banana court verdict.

US President Biden invitation to next year Democracy Meeting 2024 will include Singapore.
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#8

Sorry does any one the followbstory closely?

If Kwa is found guilty of miscommunication on the will....doesn't that prove LHY iand wife are  innocent all accusations???....

I, being poor, have only my dreams; I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.
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#9

(11-05-2023, 01:19 AM)sgbuffett Wrote:  Sorry does any one the story xlosely?

If Kwa is found guilty of miscommunication on the will....doesn't that prove LHY is innocent all alkmaar?
.Question..

Was MDM Kwa under duress?
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#10

"COMPLAINT UNDER THE LAW SOCIETY

The Law Society's charges alleged that Mdm Kwa had disclosed confidential information to PM Lee - who was not entitled to the details - by including him in an email."


https://www.google.com/search?q=leekuan+...+to+PM+Lee&oq=leekuan+yew+lawyer+disclosed+information+to+PM+Lee&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i10i160.43728j0j4&client=ms-android-oppo-rvo3&sourceid=chrome-mobile&ie=UTF-8#:~:text=COMPLAINT%20UNDER%20THE,in%20an%20email.
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#11

Adrian Tan at the Law Society finally showing some backbone in his dying days. Otherwise would he and LawSoc have dared to file charges against Kwa Kim Li for disclosing confidential information to the PM?

SEE ONE WUMAO, KILL ONE WUMAO!!! 
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#12

.Sensitive.

Hope No one being accused of collaboration?

Or implications of gratitude.
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#13

(11-05-2023, 03:35 AM)Basic_Strategy Wrote:  Adrian Tan at the Law Society finally showing some backbone in his dying days. Otherwise would he and LawSoc have dared to file charges against Kwa Kim Li for disclosing confidential information to the PM?

Law society stood tall

Tribunal stood so low
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#14

Who's actually lying?

" "A disciplinary tribunal and the Court of Three Judges had said that Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Mrs Lee Suet Fern were lying."

How come Law Society also implying MDM Kwa is lying.?

Kwa paid $13000 fine.
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#15

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Why tribunal didn't question Kwa whether she did spoken to PM Lee, the third party prior before sending those 2 emails?

If so, what did PM Lee said to her?

Before leaking details of LKYs will to PM Lee, did Kwa warned PM Lee that revealing such confidential information is against the law?

Why PM Lee didn't stop her from doing so?
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#16

This week the kim lee are in the news, one got fined while another 's ex husband went to jail for selling 4d

Needless to say the absconders are very happy now overseas
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#17

Oxley saga continued.
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#18

Is this the final episode of oxley saga ?
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#19

(10-05-2023, 11:02 PM)lioncityftw Wrote:  https://www.channelnewsasia.com/singapor...ng-3478911

Lee Kuan Yew's lawyer ordered to pay S$13,000 in penalties over misconduct in handling of wills

A disciplinary tribunal found that Madam Kwa Kim Li had failed to safeguard the late Mr Lee's confidentiality, and had misled his children Dr Lee Wei Ling and Mr Lee Hsien Yang in an email.

SINGAPORE: Mr Lee Kuan Yew's former lawyer was on Friday (May 5) ordered to pay a total of S$13,000 in penalties in relation to misconduct in handling the wills of the founding prime minister of Singapore.

A disciplinary tribunal ordered Madam Kwa Kim Li to pay a S$5,000 penalty for failing to "scrupulously safeguard" the late Mr Lee's confidentiality while handling his will; and S$8,000 for misleading his children Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee Wei Ling in an email response to their queries.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee are siblings of Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Mdm Kwa, the managing partner of law firm Lee & Lee, had prepared a total of six wills for Mr Lee Kuan Yew between Aug 20, 2011, and Nov 2, 2012.

She was not involved in the preparation of a seventh and final will, which was executed on Dec 17, 2013 with the involvement of Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Ms Lee Suet Fern, a lawyer.

The final will restored equal shares of the estate among Mr Lee Kuan Yew's three children, and reintroduced a clause asking for his house at 38 Oxley Road to be demolished.

Mr Lee Kuan Yew passed away on March 23, 2015.


Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee, as executors of their father's estate, later made four complaints against Mdm Kwa. Two of these were eventually referred to the tribunal. 

The two complaints are that Mdm Kwa had had breached privilege and duties of confidentiality by sending emails with records of communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew to all three children, even though PM Lee was not an executor of the estate; and that Mdm Kwa had given false and misleading information to the executors in her emails.

The Law Society took charge of the complaint involving breach of confidentiality, while Mr Lee Hsien Yang took conduct of the complaint involving misleading information.

Both complaints relate to two emails - dated Jun 4, 2015, and Jun 22, 2015 - that Mdm Kwa sent in response to queries from PM Lee and Dr Lee.

Mr Lee Hsien Yang and his wife Ms Lee are not in Singapore, having left after declining to attend a police interview in July 2022 relating to lying in judicial proceedings about the late Mr Lee's will.
.
.
.
COMPLAINT UNDER LEE HSIEN YANG


Mr Lee Hsien Yang, who was represented by senior counsel Abraham Vergis, charged that Mdm Kwa misled himself and his sister Dr Lee in emails dated Jun 4 and Jun 22, 2015 - by failing to disclose her communications with their father between November 2013 and Dec 13, 2013, and/or by falsely representing that the late Mr Lee had never instructed her to change his will dated Nov 2, 2012.

The tribunal did not find that the charge was made out in relation to the email dated Jun 4, 2015. It found that there was insufficient evidence to prove that there was any query that required a reference to the November and December 2013 communications.

However, the tribunal agreed with Mr Lee Hsien Yang that the Jun 22, 2015 email contained a request for information relating to the circumstances leading to the execution of the seventh will.

The tribunal found that in her email, Mdm Kwa did not refer to her communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew between November 2013 and Dec 13, 2013, which would have contained the related information.

Instead, Mdm Kwa said that the late Mr Lee did not instruct her to change his will after signing the sixth version; and that she learned about the seventh will from others.

Mdm Kwa argued that her statement in the email was true and complete as she was not involved in the preparation or execution of the seventh will.

She also argued that her communications with Mr Lee Kuan Yew in November and December 2013 were immaterial.

But the tribunal did not agree.

"The issues are quite simple. The first question is whether the November/December 2013 communications should have been disclosed in response to a query on the background to the signing of (the seventh will)," it said.

"The second question is whether the omission to disclose made the response misleading. The third question is whether it was true that (Mdm Kwa) did not receive any instructions to change (Mr Lee Kuan Yew's) will."

Mdm Kwa's failure to disclose the 2013 communications, and her statement that the late Mr Lee did not instruct her to change his will, gave the "clear and unequivocal impression that (she) had no knowledge as to how (the seventh will) came about", said the tribunal.

It added that the omission was misleading and that Mdm Kwa's statement that Mr Lee Kuan Yew did not instruct her to change his will was untrue.

The tribunal assessed the harm from this misconduct to be low and determined a penalty of S$8,000 to be appropriate. It also ordered Mdm Kwa to pay Mr Lee Hsien Yang S$12,000 in costs and S$9,182.29 in disbursements.

For both complaints, the tribunal found that there was no cause of sufficient gravity for disciplinary action.
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Sibeh jialat liao lah! Big Grin
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#20

Will PM Lee be implicated?
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#21

.
Although LKY was still alive, all these were happening behind his back without his knowledge.

Yet, knowingly disclosing confidential inform between Kwa and PM Lee should be considered as  very serious.
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#22

I am sure the 8th and 9th will is coming out soon
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#23

(11-05-2023, 06:59 AM)Scythian Wrote:  .
Although LKY was still alive, all these were happening behind his back without his knowledge.

Yet, knowingly disclosing confidential inform between Kwa and PM Lee should be considered as  very serious.

LHL retaining stolen goods
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#24

No more oxley saga pls we have enough.
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#25

(11-05-2023, 08:29 AM)K88 shu shu Wrote:  No more oxley saga pls we have enough.

every time i see this saga, it reminds me of LKY suing his rivals. 

天道轮回
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#26

(11-05-2023, 08:31 AM)hero Wrote:  every time i see this saga, it reminds me of LKY suing his rivals. 

天道轮回
It is 迴 not 回.
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#27

then PM Lee's satki statutory statement and speech talk until got dragons and phoenix how? 
Will he push all blame to Kwa Kim Li?


Go to 21:35

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/p...-committee
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#28

(11-05-2023, 08:53 AM)lioncityftw Wrote:  then PM Lee's satki statutory statement and speech talk until got dragons and phoenix how? 
Will he push all blame to Kwa Kim Li?


Go to 21:35

https://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/p...-committee

Not closed case liao meh?  Thinking
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#29

So the old man's lawyer was not actually working for the old man , but for another man?
wow! politics at its bestest.
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#30

Fined 13k
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