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Can a “Persons Unknown” Injunction be Deployed in the Singapore Courts?

Danny Quah

[2019] SAL Prac 5

Abstract:
In 2017, the English Commercial Court granted a first-of-its-kind “Persons Unknown” worldwide freezing injunction over the assets of unknown fraudsters who had allegedly committed large-scale international financial fraud via the Internet. On the back of this injunction, the claimant was able to take out interlocutory orders to ascertain the identities of the alleged fraudsters and details of onward transfers and to freeze the assets of the fraudsters and stolen funds, before the proceeds of fraud were totally dissipated. Given the utility of a “Persons Unknown” injunction, this article considers whether such an injunction can be deployed in the Singapore courts.