Was Mr Wee Sing Guan the only person who knew in SembMarine? Part 1

Referring to the court proceeding between BNP Paribas (BNPP) and SembMarine as reported by Conrad Raj in BT, January 3, 2008.

Heinz Riehl, SembMarine's "expert" witness, is trying to offer a defence for SembMarine, with the following:-

• non-financial institutions do not mark to market the value of the forward positions and;
• only recognise cash (ie. realised) profits and losses.

My opinion

This is a very poor excuse offered on behalf of a corporate of the size of SembMarine. He is saying that SembMarine do not have anyone to monitor whether the respective forex positions were making money or otherwise. They would just receive any profit and pay out any losses upon closure of any position.

As I have said before in my last posting on this topic, SembMarine could always ask the bank for a daily mark-to-market report assuming if SembMarine may not have the expertise in house.

Mr Riehl, are you saying that once a pregnancy is conceived, there is no need for any medical review at various stages of pregnancy but are only concerned with the outcome at the day of birth?