PropNex Realty changes law firm in ‘99-to-1’ suit to avoid conflict of interest

[SINGAPORE] Property agency PropNex Realty has changed its law firm to Rajah & Tann in the “99-to-1” lawsuit to avoid conflict of interest as one of its agents is also being sued.

Previously, Withers KhattarWong represented the property agency and its agent Ian Sng, and had filed defences for both against claims from the claimant Melvin Li.

Both the agent and the agency had disputed Li’s allegations and claims in their defences filed in February, with PropNex Realty denying that it should be made responsible for its fellow defendant’s acts.

With the case now being handled by a different law firm, The Business Times has reached out to Rajah & Tann on whether they will file a different defence or update it for PropNex Realty.

PropNex Realty (a unit of mainboard-listed PropNex), Sng as well as City Law have been sued for about S$1.2 million after Li was made to top up the Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty (ABSD) and pay surcharges imposed by the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore for his purchases of a 1 per cent interest in each of his parents’ condominium apartments.