Matilda Chua files her defence in NKF civil suit

Wednesday, May 24, 2006
— Channel NewsAsia

The National Kidney Foundation's (NKF) former director Matilda Chua has filed her defence for the civil suit brought against her by the new NKF.

Ms Chua, who is also embroiled in a criminal lawsuit, has denied most of the claims brought against her by the new board, which is also suing four others.
In her 20-page defence, she denied knowledge of any matters relating to former CEO T T Durai's remuneration, saying she was merely an NKF employee. She claimed that by the time she became an exco member and director, there was already an Audit Committee in place and she did not have reason to doubt its effectiveness.

Ms Chua, 36, also alleged she did not receive any remuneration or benefits herself as an exco member and NKF director.

Ms Chua denied being involved in the negotiations and deliberations with Protonweb Solutions and Forte Systems, companies the old NKF had business dealings with. She claimed she became a corporate representative of Protonweb Solutions only after the NKF entered into contracts with them.

She added that she was never involved in the preparation or treatment of the accounts in respect of the fund-raising activities.

Ms Chua, who started on a monthly salary of $1,300 in 1991 and was earning $10,000 by 2000, claimed she did not have any influence on the decisions to make these payments.

After she announced her intent to resign in April 2000, her monthly salary was increased to $12,500 in June and backdated to April without exco approval. To this, Ms Chua said her successor had a higher salary and performance bonus. Also, she said, the increments were given in recognition of her efforts for the charity show held in June 2000.