Court Tosses CEO’s Revenge Tale
In a whirlwind verdict that left the courtroom audience raring to go, the High Court waltzed past a sharp‑witted former chief executive’s attempt to paint his co‑founder as a traitor.
Who’s at the Table?
Cheo Ming Shen, 35, the former CEO of Netccentric – the parent of the popular blog‑ads network Nuffnang – is the guy trying to blame his buddy for the exit. He claims that he had to hand over the reins in January last year because the company was drowning in bad results.
Timothy Tiah Ewe Tiam, 34 and Malaysian by birth, is the alleged mastermind behind Cheo’s “voluntary” resignation.
The Allegations
- Cheo says Tiah engineered his resignation.
- He also claims that Tiah broke an agreement to keep his leadership so free from interference.
- The court, however, says there’s no concrete proof for either claim.
Judge’s Take
Justice Choo Han Teck was quick to point out that Cheo just “jumped without being pushed.”
He noted there were three independent board directors, but none were ever called to testify.
The Sidekick
Wendy Cheng – famously known in the blogging world as Xiaxue – was the social‑media influencer who stepped into the courtroom and testified on Cheo’s behalf. Yet even her charm couldn’t sway the court.
Bottom Line
The lawsuit has been dismissed. Cheo’s fingers have been shot wide – no evidence that Tiah promised him a three‑year CEO stint or that there was any sneaky interference. The court kept it short, harsh, and unmistakably pro the board’s silence.
Nasdaq‑Nifty Drama: Two Co‑Founders, One Big Beef
Picture this: two bright‑eyed entrepreneurs, fresh out of college, start a tech juggernaut called Netccentric in 2006. By 2015 the company was on the Australian Stock Market, but the rabbit‑hole of losses opened up, and the best of friends turned into a battlefield.
Why the Fallout?
- In 2017, Cheo Ming Shen, the former CEO of Nuffnang’s parent, was allegedly forced out.
- Cheo claims he left early to dodge a humiliating vote‑out.
- His former partner, Tiah, drops the COO title, pulls a big severance, and gets a letter from his uncle Tony Tiah Thee Kian demanding Cheo’s ouster.
The Judge’s Take
Justice Choo’s ruling was pretty blunt: the evidence from Blogger Xiaxue “largely didn’t matter” to the core case. Think of it like a courtroom where the judge flips a page in a legal romance—“Sorry, this scene doesn’t fit the plot.”
He threw in a funny analogy: “Two men in a car never drive together—diagnosis: no shared agreement.”
Two Sides of the Legal Wall
- Cheo’s side: He sued for a tidy $250,000 recorded as owed by the company.
- Netccentric’s side: They want to claw back over $100,000, citing travel costs and a monthly “petrol and parking” perk of $3,000 for 19 months.
What Happens Next?
Both parties have filed lawsuits one against the other. The legal drama continues; meanwhile Cheo’s lawyer, Jonathan Yuen, likens the clash to a driver being stabbed by the co‑driver—only in Court, there was no driver at all.
Stay tuned, because if the rivalry were a romance, it’s definitely got its drama!