Ong Eng Sing, 47, Pokka ex-CEO & husband of actress Vivian Lai, fined S$15,000

He settled out of court with Pokka.

Belmont Lay | August 23, 2022, 11:52 AM

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Ong Eng Sing, the 47-year-old husband of actress Vivian Lai and former chief executive of beverage company Pokka International, was fined S$15,000 after pleading guilty on Aug. 22 to three charges under the Companies Act.

The Singaporean, also publicly known as Alain Ong, was also disqualified from acting as a director or taking part in the management of a company for two years.

His sentencing was reported by The Straits Times and CNA.

Lai used to appear in Pokka advertisements.

The crime

Ong was asked to leave Pokka International in September 2018.

Pokka International is wholly owned by Pokka Corporation (Singapore).

Ong was director at some point in the two Pokka entities, and held various positions there between 2010 and 2017.

During these years, he owned 40 per cent of shares in drinks company Asian Story Corporation (ASC), which entered into three agreements with the two Pokka entities.

They included a distribution agreement in 2010, a manufacturing agreement with Pokka Corp in 2016, and a distribution framework with Pokka International in 2017.

Ong failed to disclose his interest in these transactions to Pokka International or Pokka Corp during all three agreements that involved ASC.

Pokka sued Ong for S$10 million in July 2019, which was settled out of court in April 2021.

Details of the settlement were not revealed.

Ong was accused of breaching his duties as a director and employee by working with others to divert business to ASC and inflating the value of ASC.

At that time, ASC was anticipating an acquisition by Kimly.

For each offence under the Companies Act, Ong could have been jailed for up to 12 months or fined up to S$5,000.

Top photos via Pokka