Andre Jumabhoy
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 the 1MDB investigation.
NOTABLE CASES
- PP v Tan Yew Kuan and another [2023] SGHC 235
- Dzulkarnain bin Khamis v PP and another appeal and another matter [2023] 1 SLR 1398
- PP v Yeo Liang Hou and another [2023] SGHC 157
- PP v Mohamed Rafi Bin Mohamed Salleh [2023] SGDC 104
- PP v Merlur Binte Ahmad [2022] SGDC 301
- Abdul Aziz bin Mohamed Hanib v PP and other appeals [2022] 5 SLR 640
- Roshdi bin Abdullah Altway v PP and another matter [2022] 1 SLR 535
Mr. Jumabhoy represented Mr. Roshdi bin Abdullah Altway in his appeal against his conviction of a capital drug trafficking charge. This case allowed the Court of Appeal to clarify the scope of the “”bailee”” defence – an accused cannot be said to be in possesion of drugs for the purpose of trafficking if he inteded to return the drusg to the person of gave it to him.
Specifically, the Court of Appeal held that an accused cannot rely on this defence if he knew or intended that his receipt of the drugs was in some way part of the process of supply or distribution of the drugs.
See here for the full case.
- PP v Muhamad Naqiuddin Khan Bin Jhangir Khan and others [2021] SGDC 269
- PP v Chow Tuck Keong Benjamin and others [2021] SGDC 232
- PP v Md Adnan Sheikh [2021] SGDC 224
- Muhammad Nabill bin Mohd Fuad v PP [2020] 1 SLR 984
Mr. Jumabhoy represented Mr. Muhammad Nabill in an appeal against his conviction of two capital drug trafficking charges. The Court of Appeal acquitted Mr. Nabill of both charges as the Prosecution failed to call material witnesses to rebut Mr. Nabill’s defence.
This case levelled the playing field between the Defence and the Prosecution by expanding the scope of the Prosecution’s duty of disclosure.
Read more on:
a) The Straits Times
b) e-Litigation
c) Journals Online
- PP v Ryan Xavier Tay Seet Choong and another [2020] SGDC 272
- PP v Low Geok Min and Thean Sow Foon [2020] SGDC 31
- PP v Tok Ching Sim [2019] SGDC 219
- PP v Goh Chan Chong (Wu Zhenzhong) [2016] SGDC 210
- PP v Stephen Tay Thian Boon [2015] SGDC 332
- PP v Masoud Rahimi bin Mehrzad and another [2015] SGHC 288
- Chua Boon Chye v PP [2015] 4 SLR 922
Mr. Jumabhoy led the Prosecution in securing its conviction of the accused for an offence of receiving stolen property. At the appeal, the Court of Appeal settled the unanswered question: can the previous conviction of a third party be admitted as evidence in civil and criminal proceedings?
In upholding the accused’s conviction and sentence, the Court of Appeal answered the question definitively and in the affirmative.
See here for the full case.
- PP v Syed Mostofa Romel [2015] SGDC 51
- PP v Bernard Lim Yong Soon [2014] SGDC 356
- Chua Boon Chye v PP [2014] SGHC 135
- PP v Chua Boon Chye [2013] SGDC 441
- PP v Tey Tsun Hang [2013] SGDC 164
- PP v Tey Tsun Hang [2013] SGDC 166
- PP v Tey Tsun Hang [2013] SGDC 165
Mr. Jumabhoy led the Prosecution against NUS law professor, Tey Tsun Hang, in a trial that came to be popularly known as the “Sex-for-Grades” case.
In a curious turn of events, the Prosecution’s key witness gave evidence which was unfavourable to the Prosecution’s case at trial. After being questioned rigorously by Mr. Jumabhoy, the witness’s evidence in Court was impeached and Tey was convicted of all 6 charges for corruption at the conclusion of the trial.
Read more here.
- PP v Han Ong Guan and Jeremy Han Wan Kwang [2013] SGDC 29
- PP v Lim Tian Siew [2012] SGDC 314
- PP v Gopinathan Nair Remadevi Bijukumar [2012] SGHC 59
- PP v Foong Chee Peng [2011] SGHC 105
- PP v Mohammad Johan bin Rashid [2011] SGHC 70
- PP v Mohamad Najiman bin Abdull Aziz [2011] SGHC 44
- The Law Society of Singapore v Lim Tean [2023] SGDT 16
- CEB v CEC and another matter [2020] 4 SLR 183
- Mohammad Faizal bin Sabtu v PP [2012] 4 SLR 94
- Amazi bin Hawasi v PP [2012] 4 SLR 981