PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND
Mr. Jumabhoy is a dedicated trial lawyer with considerable experience in complex criminal and civil disputes. Mr. Jumabhoy has expertise in white-collar crime having acted for clients, both corporates and individuals, charged with insider trading, bribery, high-value frauds, money laundering, and breach of directors’ duties.
Mr. Jumabhoy began his legal career in 2003 as a barrister in a criminal set of chambers at theBar in London. Mr. Jumabhoy has defended in jury trials spanning the full spectrum of criminal offences, including murder, armed robbery, rape and high-value fraud. He frequently appeared in the Old Bailey, High Court and the Court of Appeal of England and Wales. Over time, his practice broadened to include civil matters, with a focus on breach of directors’ duties and contractual disputes.
In 2011, Mr. Jumabhoy returned to Singapore and joined the Attorney General’s Chambers as a Deputy Public Prosecutor. He was promoted to Deputy Senior State Counsel in 2014. Initially posted to the capital crimes team where he prosecuted crimes such as murder and drug trafficking, Mr. Jumabhoy moved on to prosecute financial crimes in 2012. His work there focused on corruption and fraud offences involving public companies, public officials, and private individuals, as well as money laundering and Company Act offences. He prosecuted what the media dubbed “the sex for grades” trial (PP v Tey Tsun Hung).
Mr. Jumabhoy has appeared in the State Courts, High Court, and Court of Appeal, and has been involved in numerous appeals, including that establishing the definitive approach to the presumption of corruption involving civil servants under Section 8 of the Prevention of Corruption Act (Chapter 241) (“PCA”), the law concerning the admissibility of previous convictions under the Evidence Act (Chapter 97), and the prosecution’s disclosure obligations (Nabill v Public Prosecutor).
Mr. Jumabhoy has considerable international experience dealing with companies and individuals investigated for corruption and money laundering, whether in Singapore or under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and UK Bribery Act. He has represented multinationals caught up in large-scale bribery and corruption investigation, most recently a multinational shipbuilder involved in the Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras (“Operation Carwash”), as well as an ex-Head of State convicted of money laundering and individuals connected to the1MDB investigation.
Mr. Jumabhoy represented and prosecuted both individuals and companies across the globe. Some of his works include:
- Overturned the conviction of a drug trafficker sentenced to death for diamorphine and cannabis. The Court of Appeal allowed the appeal and provided definitive guidance on the State’s disclosure obligations;
- Representation of an individual caught up in the Wirecard accounting scandal;
- Representation of individuals caught up in the Shell Oil Bukom heist;
- Representation of individual accused of paying bribes to the Labour Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy;
- Advising a former-head of State in respect of his appeal against conviction for money-laundering offences.
- Conducted an internal investigation of behalf of a multinational shipbuilder caught up in a corruption scandal in Brazil involving the Brazilian state-owned company Petrobras (“Operation Carwash”);
- Prosecution of publicly listed ship building company and its directors in respect of corrupt payments made by the company to foreign companies and officials in South Korea and Myanmar;
- Prosecution of religious body involved in cheating statutory boards;
- Prosecution of CEO of a publicly listed company for cheating and breach of directors’ duties;
- Prosecution of multi-jurisdiction (Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Taiwan) and multi-million dollar cheating scheme to evade customs duties and GST in respect of car importations;
- Prosecution of a director of a US-listed multinational corporation involved in the receipt and distribution of bunker fuel from global oil companies;
- Prosecution of a law professor and student for giving better grades in return for sexual favours and gifts (“Sex for Grades”);
- Conducting third-party due diligence of a proposed acquisition in Indonesia by a US multinational;
- Advising and implementing anti-corruption and anti-money laundering policies and compliance programmes for various companies across energy, consumer, and infrastructure sectors.
Mr. Jumabhoy represents and advises individuals and companies in a variety of disputes across the civil spectrum. Some examples of his work in both Singapore and the UK include:
- (Court of Appeal (UK), Civil Division) Acted as lead counsel in a civil appeal in respect of claims involving the tort of procuring a breach of contract and dishonest assistance;
- Acted as lead counsel in the High Court for a Singapore company which was sued by a director for breach of his employment contract. The company cross-claimed for breach of directors’ duties and misappropriation;
- Acted as lead counsel in the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) to set aside an arbitration award between an Indian company and a UAE company.
- Acted for directors and employees in a global commodity firm based in Singapore in an internal investigation that included allegations of corruption and money laundering under the FCPA, UK Bribery Act and Singapore Prevention of Corruption Act;
- Acted for a director of ride-hailing company in an internal investigation that included allegations of corruption under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and money laundering.
- Advised in respect of a derivative action and claim for unfair prejudice (section 459 of the Companies Act 1985) following a £300,000 investment in an international telecommunication company. The business had been intended to be run as a quasi-partnership, but following the breakdown of the relationship between the partners, one of the minority shareholders had been excluded from the running of the company;
- Advising a US medical manufacturer on the civil recovery of funds stolen as a result of a cyber-attack, including obtaining a worldwide Mareva injunction to prevent the funds being dissipated;
- Acted on behalf of the defendant in respect of a claim by a mortgage company for breach of contract following the sale of the mortgaged property. The application for summary judgment by the mortgagee was successfully defended on the basis that the mortgagee had failed to act in good faith in the sale of the property;
- Acted as junior counsel for a Singapore-based defendant (a petrochemical Pte Ltd) in an action for breach of a shipping contract brought by an India-based claimant with a UK jurisdiction clause for S$4 million. Advised pre-trial on the interpretation of the contracts and the enforceability of various clauses. The key issues at trial were whether the parties had reached a concluded agreement, whether one party had frustrated the contract and whether economic loss could be recovered for a factory shutting down due to non-delivery of the petrochemical MEG;
- Acted for directors and employees in a global commodity firm in an internal investigation that included allegations of corruption and money laundering under the FCPA, UK Bribery Act and Singapore Prevention of Corruption Act;
- Acted for a director of ride-hailing company in an internal investigation that included allegations of corruption and money laundering.
Mr. Jumabhoy has also regularly appeared in the Court of Appeal, both Criminal and Civil Division, the High Court and Crown Courts throughout England during his time at the bar. Details of his work are available on request.
- Advocacy trainer for Singapore Bar Exams
- Lecturer at the National University of Singapore in Legal Analysis and Writing