High Court grants application from Lee Wei Ling, Lee Hsien Yang for disciplinary tribunal on Kwa Kim Lee’s conduct 

Singapore— Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's younger brother Lee Hsien Yang and sister Dr Lee Wei Ling have progressed in their bid to  investigate the alleged misconduct of their late father Lee Kuan Yew's lawyer Kwa Kim Li. A High Court judge on Wednesday (Apr 21) ordered the Law Society to apply to the Chief Justice to appoint a disciplinary tribunal to look into the conduct of Ms Kwa over the handling of the late Mr Lee's wills. Ms Kwa was not only the late Mr Lee's lawyer. She is also the niece of his wife, the late Kwa Geok Choo, and therefore the cousin of the Prime Minister and his siblings. In September last year, however, Mr Lee Hsien Yang and Dr Lee, who are the trustees and executors of their father’s estate, moved to have her conduct investigated. They applied for an order that the Law Society be directed to apply to the Chief Justice for the appointment of a disciplinary tribunal to investigate her conduct, reported sg.news.yahoo.com.

Justice Valerie Thean, in a written judgment published on Wednesday (Apr 21), said two of the complaints dismissed by the Law Society last year should be investigated.

These complaints are as follows: that the lawyer did not follow the late Mr Lee’s instructions for his earlier wills to be destroyed and that Ms Kwa had given Dr Lee and Mr Lee Hsien Yang information that was misleading and false.

Justice Thean granted part of the Lee sibling’s application for a tribunal to look into the four complaints they had filed against the lawyer, but the complaint about Ms Kwa’s failure to keep proper records was dismissed.

Another complaint—that the lawyer had breached her privilege by sending emails to PM Lee, who was not an executor of his father’s estate, that contained records of communications with the late Lee—will also stand, since the inquiry committee convened by the Law Society recommended an investigation.

As for the supposed destruction of Lee Kuan Yew’s wills, the judge said that the Law Society Council was “confronted with not only a lack of an answer to the professional practice queries posed, but also two conflicting views as to whether a prima facie case was made out on a factual issue.

"In such a case, the council ought to have… concluded that a formal investigation by a disciplinary tribunal would be necessary.”

Dr Lee had written in a Facebook post on April 30, 2019, and again on Aug 18, 2020, “Kwa Kim Li (KKL) of Lee & Lee has denied involvement in the 2013 will. This is false.” 

“Kwa Kim Li (KKL) of Lee & Lee has denied involvement in the events that led to this 2013 will. These are all falsehoods. KKL has been lying. She has also breached her duties to her client, my father.”

/TISG

Read also: Younger Lee siblings want disciplinary tribunal to look into Kwa Kim Li’s conduct

http://theindependent.sg/younger-lee-siblings-want-disciplinary-tribunal-to-look-into-kwa-kim-lis-conduct/