Media and events firm TechTV Network on trial for S$190,000 in allegedly unpaid salaries
Ex-employees testified that TechTV’s founder and director, Ms Debbie Lee, claimed they would be paid after investments and clients’ payments came in, but this did not happen.
A view of the State Courts building in Singapore. (Photo: CNA/Ili Mansor)
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SINGAPORE: A media and events firm went on trial on Wednesday (Aug 26) for allegedly failing to pay over S$190,000 (US$150,000) in wages to four employees.
The Singapore company, TechTV Network, faces 14 charges under the Employment Act.
CNA previously reported on TechTV employees’ experiences that led them to file claims with the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM).
Ex-employees testified on Wednesday that although TechTV’s founder and director, Ms Debbie Lee, signed settlement agreements with them after TADM mediation, not all the payments were made.
The trial got under way at a district court with no TechTV representative or defence counsel present.
A Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigating officer told the court that Ms Lee had said she could not represent the firm in the proceedings as she had resigned as director and was an undischarged bankrupt.
In a statement taken from Ms Lee in April 2025, she had said she was the sole decision-maker for TechTV, according to the MOM investigating officer.
Ms Lee had also said that TechTV was facing financial constraints due to “poor sales performance” and an “economic crisis”, leading to the firm’s cashflow situation, said the officer.
TechTV ran a regional television channel carrying content on K-pop, e-sports, financial news and technoqlogy, and also offered marketing events, the court heard.
The firm is accused of failing to pay two employees, Lim Chun Tat Kenneth and Basheer Mohamed Sultan, their salaries for services rendered from late 2024 to March 2025.
It is also accused of failing to pay wages owed to two employees, Ho Yan Yi and Lai Chink Eng, after they left the company in November 2024.
On the stand, ex-employee Mr Lim said the “biggest red flag” he got in the lead up to the withholding of salaries was when he was paid only half his wages in July 2024.
TechTV’s human resources manager told him that Ms Lee had given instructions for the partial payment of salaries, said Mr Lim.
When questioned by Mr Lim, Ms Lee told him that she was waiting for some investments to come in, and that he would be paid in full after that, without giving a date, he said.
Ms Lee continued to “spoon feed” him with claims about investments whenever he chased her to pay him, said Mr Lim, who was a creative producer at the firm.
“In hindsight, she’s just trying to buy time for us to continue working without salary,” he said.
On one occasion, Ms Lee claimed to have a telegraphic transfer slip for an investment that had come in, but was unable to produce it when employees asked to see it, he added.
She also sent an email to staff asking them to “work harder” to get more sales revenue for the firm so they could be paid, Mr Lim said.
He said he had replied this should not be the case because the staff should be paid their basic salary in order to work on getting sales for the company, and “not the other way around”.
Mr Lim said Ms Lee was still able to “trickle” wages down once in a while, such as when he asked to be paid before a video shoot in order for the shoot to go ahead.
This made it seem as if the firm would be “back on track” soon and that employees would be fully paid eventually, said Mr Lim.
“Part of why we stayed on for so long is also professionalism and work ethic,” he added.
Mr Basheer, who was an integrated sales manager, said that after securing some clients for the firm, he was told he would get his salary after the clients made payment.
This did not happen, he told the court.
The trial continues. The penalty for failing to pay salary is a fine of between S$3,000 and S$15,000 for each charge.
Source: CNA/dv
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