The manipulation which was committed between November 2004 and March 2005 resulted in charges brought by the Securities Commission Malaysia (SC) in October the same year. The Sessions Court convicted Dato’ Phillip Wong and Bun in 2011 after hearing 38 prosecution witnesses.

Today, the President of the Court of Appeal Justice Md Raus Shariff together with Court of Appeal Justice Hamid Sultan Abu Backer and Justice Idrus Harun affirmed the convictions and sentences that were meted out by the Sessions Court. As a result, Dato’ Phillip Wong is jailed for two years and fined RM3 million, while Francis Bun is jailed for three months and fined RM2 million. The jail sentences commenced today.

In persuading the Court of Appeal to consider the gravity of the offence committed, SC’s prosecution team highlighted that market manipulation is not a victimless offence. Many account holders whose accounts were used in this manipulation, suffered millions of ringgit in losses. The manipulation committed in this case had the effect of increasing the price of Suremax shares by 77% in a span of four months.

SECURITIES COMMISSION MALAYSIA