AHTC welcomes Court of Appeal’s directions

Aljunied-Hougang Town Council (AHTC) had applied to the Court of Appeal for directions on legal costs and with regard to the appointment of accountants under the judgment dated 27 Nov 2015.

At the hearing on 7 January 2016, AHTC, the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Housing & Development Board (HDB) have been ordered to bear their own legal costs.  In this regard, AHTC welcomes the Court’s rejection of the submission of the Attorney-General’s Chambers (representing MND & HDB) that AHTC’s conduct of its defence during the course of the hearings at the High Court and at the Court of Appeal was egregious and somehow improper.

AHTC also notes the Court’s helpful clarification that the accountants to be appointed in accordance with its judgment of 27 Nov 2015 were not being given a carte blanche to look into the TC’s affairs.  Instead, their remit was to identify the outstanding non-compliances with Section 35(c) of the Town Councils Act, highlighted in the Auditor-General’s report of February 2015 and the TCs’ auditors’ reports for FY13/14 and FY14/15.

As to the identity of the accountants, AHTC will further correspond with the HDB on its nomination, which will be resolved at a further hearing expected around the end of next week.

PRITAM SINGH
CHAIRMAN
ALJUNIED-HOUGANG TOWN COUNCIL

07 January 2016