‘Inserting evidence between the lines’: Parties argue over claims of oral agreements

THE shareholder oppression trial brought by restaurateur Violet Oon against her business partner continued on Wednesday (Jul 12), with parties sparring over the existence of verbal promises that Oon’s family alleged had been given to them.

Tay Su-Lyn, Oon’s daughter and a director at Violet Oon Singapore, said during cross-examination that the business partner, Group MMM director Manoj Murjani, had face-to-face meetings with the family. She said that Manoj had threatened to sue the family and wind up Violet Oon Singapore if the family did not pay money to Group MMM for allegedly increasing their salaries without his consent.

In December 2014, Oon was paid a monthly salary of S$5,000, Tay Su-Lyn, S$1,000, and Oon’s son, Tay Yiming, S$4,500. In November 2018, Oon and her son were drawing S$8,000 each per month, and her daughter, S$5,000 a month.