By Esther Tan

FORMER television actor Lin Yisheng, 44, was charged in court yesterday for not paying wages to 21 employees of his failed company, Celebrities Holdings.

Through a Chinese language interpreter, he disputed his position as general manager of the company and claimed to be only a consultant.

But Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecutor Inderjit Singh told the court that investigations showed that Lin was the general manager.

District Judge Shaiffudin Saruwan adjourned the case to April 28 to allow Lin's lawyer, Mr Chung Ping Shen, to make representations to MOM.

Lin's alleged accomplice and business partner, Kwong Pah Yong, 50, appeared in court later. He was also granted an adjournment to make representations to MOM. The case will be heard again on the same day as Lin's. Both share the same lawyer.

The duo's company had intended to set up an exclusive club at Thomson Lane but it never opened.

In court, Lin nodded and occasionally grimaced as 33 charges were read out to him.

If convicted, both men face up to six months' jail or a $1,000 fine or both on each of the 33 charges.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.