Sonu S D27 Dony Joseph C52 Harsha Tandure C55 Shiva Charan Reddy A57 Vivek Atmakuri C23 Ajay Nalawade C37
Sonu S D27 Dony Joseph C52 Harsha Tandure C55 Shiva Charan Reddy A57 Vivek Atmakuri C23 Ajay Nalawade C37
Sonu S D27 Dony Joseph C52 Harsha Tandure C55 Shiva Charan Reddy A57 Vivek Atmakuri C23 Ajay Nalawade C37
Synopsis
An engineer from Singapore arrives in Hong Kong to work as a project manager for a land developer.
The engineer starts his own company to engage initially in the pest-control business and later establishes
1977 the Carrian Group
He purchases land in the New Territories and begins his foray into the property market; he sets up more
companies to engage in a variety of businesses under the umbrella of Carrian Holdings Ltd. (Carrian
1978 Group/Carrian), with himself as the group chairman (Carrian chairman).
A Carrian subsidiary acquires a listed company at a price of HK$6 per share. The company is later renamed
1979 Carrian Investments Ltd. for trade on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Jan
Another Carrian subsidiary purchases Gammon House for around HK$1 billion. By October, it announces
the sale of Gammon House for over HK$1.6 billion.
Nov
The Carrian Group expands rapidly. Its share price skyrockets to a record high of HK$17.90 per share.
1980
1980
The property market in Hong Kong slumps and property prices drop sharply. The Carrian Group is also hit
Oct and announces a cash-flow problem. Its share price tumbles and bank creditors apply for the company's
1982 liquidation.
Jan The Stock Exchange suspends trading in Carrian shares.
1983
The Police discover that fraud was probably committed in the acquisition and sale of the Gammon House.
Several prosecutions are made. However, all the accused are acquitted due to duplication of charges and
Sept insufficient evidence.
20
1983
Oct Carrian is liquidated resulting in the biggest corporate collapse in Hong Kong.
1983
Jalil
Ibrahim
As early as 1982, BBMB headquarters was suspicious about its Hong Kong subsidiary's
credit-approval procedures. The bank therefore dispatched an internal auditor from its Kuala
Lumpur headquarters to act as assistant general manager supervising BMFL accounting
and credit matters, and with an unspoken task to examine BMFL's books from the inside. At
the same time, BBMB also issued an order to BMFL halting any further loans to the Carrian
Group of companies without prior headquarters' approval.
On 18 July 1983, the internal auditor was reported missing. Two days later he was found
dead inside a banana grove in Tai Po, New Territories
Hall of Shame
Bumiputera
Malaysia
Finance (BMF)
Lorrain EsmeOsman
(Former Chairman)
Proper credit analysis should have been carried out before issuing such substantial
funds
There was no proper monitoring of such a rapidly growing company until it went
bust; shows the shortcomings in proper governance of companies and stock market
regulation.
Supporting documentation & Guarantee requirements were not sought for,
procedures skipped, by the loan issuing party.
Lack of proper communication and poor monitoring of the subsidiary in Hong Kong ,
probably in haste of pursuing overseas expansion.
There was neither compliance nor transparency in the operations of Carrian Group.
Senior management, who are supposed to set the example, persistently resorted to
corruption and deception.
Financials were tampered with to present a rosy picture to the investors. Again, a
lack of proper regulation.
The Hong Kong economy, stock market, Judiciary, investors , and all the stakeholders
were made to pay dearly for the above, and a promising life lost. This example pretty
much explains the need for proper ethical behaviour and corporate governance.