This is the kind of news that is stunning, even to a High Court Judge.
Geraldine and John Nordmann, husband and wife directors of land banking company Profitable Plots, were supposed to attend a verdict hearing but were not present as they were both allowed to leave the country.
High Court Judge Choo Han Teck said in disbelief: “Both sides had done something that ran counter to their original positions during the time that I was carefully considering the verdict. How do you expect me to deliver the verdict today?”
The story is that Geraldine Nordmann, one of the Directors of Profitable Plots, had initially submitted an application for the return of her passport on 18th May 2011 but the Attorney Generals’ Chambers (AGC) had objected to it.
The reason given by Geraldine then was that she had no money to stay in Singapore and wanted to move to her properties in Johor Bahru.
Investigations then had shown that Mrs Nordmann and her husband have already shipped three containers of personal belongings back to France from Johor Bahru. This indicated that they have intentions to move to France rather than stay in Johor Bahru.
However, Commercial Affairs Department (CAD) allowed the husband, John Nordmann, to leave the country. They believed that he would be unlikely to jump bail as long as his wife remained in Singapore.
It is therefore remarkable that Geraldine was subsequently allowed to leave Singapore. Geraldine’s lawyer Wendell Wong presented a case for the return of her passport by the CAD under “compassionate grounds” so that she could attend a wedding in Britain. She was allowed to do so.
The AGC said that they “will take note of the judge’s views and will consider it carefully in handling each individual case in the future.”
Singapore Law Watch :
Judge stunned by AGC’s decision to return passport to female director before High Court verdict
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