Corporate investigations: a test of mettle for Singapore boards

THE start of 2026 has been marked by a sobering sense of deja vu for Singapore’s banking and corporate community. A recent high-profile insolvency involving duplicate financing has reignited concerns about the fragility of asset-backed lending.

In the wake of the Autobahn case, creditors face significant losses from an alleged scheme where the same inventory was pledged to multiple lenders, bypassing traditional checks. This case serves as a reality check for boards: it demonstrates that despite tighter regulations, wrongful and dishonest conduct involving management is expected to persist.

For directors, the timing of this exposure is critical. Under the new disclosure-based regime led by Singapore Exchange Regulation (SGX RegCo), boards no longer have the luxury of handling such discoveries quietly.