<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>All set for 'MEGA TRIAL'
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Selina Lum
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There will be projection screens (seen here) and seating for up to 40 lawyers (next picture) in the Supreme Court's auditorium - used for the first time as the venue for the high-stakes battle between Raffles Town Club and its former shareholders and billionaire Peter Lim. -- ST PHOTOS: CHEW SENG KIM
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->SUPREME Court officials have had to convert their auditorium into a 'mega courtroom' to accommodate all the parties involved in the high-stakes legal battle over the way Raffles Town Club was run.
The sheer size of the battalion of lawyers lined up for the case - starting on Monday - meant a normal courtroom would not be big enough.
There are six teams of legal eagles - a total of 21 lawyers at last count - representing seven parties, including billionaire Peter Lim, for a hearing expected to last seven weeks.
This is the first time a room of this size - it is 700sqm, almost twice the size of a basketball court - has been set up for a case here. There is space for 40 lawyers.
The mega court has 37 microphone points, compared with 16 in the largest normal courtrooms here, and 242 tiered seats available for the public. Normal courtrooms can accommodate only between 15 and 45 people.
Court documents have been burnt onto DVDs and can be projected onto four screens placed on each side of the courtroom. Witnesses taking the stand can view the documents from a 19-inch monitor.
Shelves have also been set up around the room for hard copies of the documents.
Senior Assistant Registrar Kenneth Yap said yesterday that the special set-up came at no extra costs to the parties.
The case itself involves the club seeking a total of more than $130 million from its former shareholders and Mr Lim.
The club alleges that Mr Lim, and directors Dennis Foo, Lawrence Ang and William Tan breached their fiduciary duties.
While Mr Lim was never a director, the club claims he was, in effect, a 'de facto' director and a beneficial shareholder.
The club alleges that the four men siphoned off the club's money through management and directors' fees, while taking on an excessive number of members. The defence contends that the fees paid were valid and of a reasonable amount.
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- Author --><TR><TD class="padlrt8 georgia11 darkgrey bold" colSpan=2>By Selina Lum
</TD></TR><!-- show image if available --><TR vAlign=bottom><TD width=330>
</TD><TD width=10>
There will be projection screens (seen here) and seating for up to 40 lawyers (next picture) in the Supreme Court's auditorium - used for the first time as the venue for the high-stakes battle between Raffles Town Club and its former shareholders and billionaire Peter Lim. -- ST PHOTOS: CHEW SENG KIM
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<TABLE><TBODY><TR><TD>
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->SUPREME Court officials have had to convert their auditorium into a 'mega courtroom' to accommodate all the parties involved in the high-stakes legal battle over the way Raffles Town Club was run.
The sheer size of the battalion of lawyers lined up for the case - starting on Monday - meant a normal courtroom would not be big enough.
There are six teams of legal eagles - a total of 21 lawyers at last count - representing seven parties, including billionaire Peter Lim, for a hearing expected to last seven weeks.
This is the first time a room of this size - it is 700sqm, almost twice the size of a basketball court - has been set up for a case here. There is space for 40 lawyers.
The mega court has 37 microphone points, compared with 16 in the largest normal courtrooms here, and 242 tiered seats available for the public. Normal courtrooms can accommodate only between 15 and 45 people.
Court documents have been burnt onto DVDs and can be projected onto four screens placed on each side of the courtroom. Witnesses taking the stand can view the documents from a 19-inch monitor.
Shelves have also been set up around the room for hard copies of the documents.
Senior Assistant Registrar Kenneth Yap said yesterday that the special set-up came at no extra costs to the parties.
The case itself involves the club seeking a total of more than $130 million from its former shareholders and Mr Lim.
The club alleges that Mr Lim, and directors Dennis Foo, Lawrence Ang and William Tan breached their fiduciary duties.
While Mr Lim was never a director, the club claims he was, in effect, a 'de facto' director and a beneficial shareholder.
The club alleges that the four men siphoned off the club's money through management and directors' fees, while taking on an excessive number of members. The defence contends that the fees paid were valid and of a reasonable amount.
