OxPay ordered to pay ex-CEO, ex-CFO for wrongful dismissal

SINGAPORE’S Employment Claims Tribunal (ECT) has ordered payment services company OxPay Financial to pay its former chief executive and chief financial officer S$77,501.52 following wrongful dismissal claims by the 2 individuals, according to copies of the orders seen by The Business Times.

Former executive director and chief executive Anthony Koh resigned from MC Payment, as Oxpay was known at the time, on Jul 1, 2021, according to filings on the Singapore Exchange. A day later, CFO Madeline Sam also resigned. Their departures came after Oxpay controlling shareholder Ching Chiat Kwong succeeded in his bid to replace the directors of the company’s board.

At the time, MC Payment said that both individuals would serve a required 6-month notice period. However, in a bourse filing on Dec 1, OxPay Financial announced the immediate termination of Koh and Sam, about 1 month before their notice periods were up.

As part of ECT orders issued on Jul 28 that were seen by BT, OxPay Financial was ordered to pay Koh S$20,000 as part of the wrongful dismissal dispute, S$20,000 for the pay he was owed for the month that he was terminated early as well as costs of S$400.

OxPay SG, a subsidiary of the company, was also ordered to pay Sam S$16,800 as part of the wrongful dismissal dispute, S$19,901.52 for the pay she was owed for the month she was terminated early, the paid annual leave she was owed as well as costs of S$400.

In response to queries by BT, OxPay Financial said that it had sought leave to appeal against the ECT’s decision. That leave for appeal has however been rejected by the Singapore District Court.

Oxpay said that it and its subsidiary do not intend to pursue any further legal action, and that it intends to “move forward and focus on growing their businesses”.

Shares of OxPay closed up S$0.005, or 3.7 per cent at S$0.141 on Monday (Sep 19).