Found to have breached employment contract, solicited employees, and misused confidential information
Singapore's High Court has ordered Voon South Shiong and his new employer, Sunway Digital, to pay nearly $880,000 in damages following a six-year legal battle.
The case centres on allegations that Voon conspired with Sunway Digital to undermine his former employer, 3D Infosystems, by breaching his employment contract, soliciting employees, and misusing confidential information.
Justice Chan Seng Onn ordered Voon to personally pay $445,685.57 in damages for breaching his employment contract, while he and Sunway Digital were jointly liable for an additional $433,741.68.
The court's ruling also highlighted several key findings, including Voon acting against his employer during his tenure by making unauthorised payments, soliciting former colleagues to join Sunway Digital, and leaking business plans.
Voon's actions also coincided with the resignation of nine employees from 3D Infosystems, eight of whom subsequently joined the rival company.
The largest portion of the award, $269,510, was related to a project with Singapore Power (SP), valued at approximately $2.5 million, which 3D Infosystems lost to Sunway Digital.
"I found the first defendant (Voon) to be liable for breach of contract and his implied duty of good faith and fidelity for disclosing the plaintiff's pricing strategy in relation to the SCADA 227 Project," Chan said in his decision.
According to the decision, Voon's disclosure of his former employer's pricing strategy gave Sunway Digital an unfair advantage.
"On a balance of probabilities, I am satisfied that (3D Infosystems) would likely have secured the SP SCADA 227 project but for the defendants' breaches and conspiracy," Chan said.
Another significant aspect of the ruling involved Voon's role in soliciting employees to leave 3D Infosystems.
The court ordered him to pay $122,356 for poaching employees, with both Mr Voon and Sunway Digital jointly liable for an additional $147,283.
Chan also addressed a peculiar incident involving a "team-building exercise" that Voon organised in 2015.
During this event, employees of 3D Infosystems were instructed to sell fruit juice and create marketing materials for a side business that Voon had established.
The court found that this exercise was intended to benefit Voon's personal business, not 3D Infosystems, and ordered him to pay $38,212, representing the salaries of the employees who participated in the activity.
"I found this 'team-building exercise' to be a farce concocted by (Voon) to divert (3D Infosystems') employees to benefit his own business," Chan said.
Source: Singapore High Court
