Jan 3 (Reuters) - ** Shares of Holista Colltech

rise as much as 6.3% to A$0.017, their highest since Nov. 7 last year

** Australian wellness products firm names Leong Man Loong, it's second-largest shareholder with a 12.7% stake, as its interim CEO

** Loong's appointment comes after HCT in November paid the first tranche of an A$1.8 mln ($1.12 mln) court-ordered penalty

** The Federal Court in March 2024 imposed penalty on HCT for making misleading statements regarding its sanitiser product between January and July 2020, and barred then CEO Rajen Marnickavasagar from managing a corporation for four years

** Loong has agreed to a nominal remuneration package of A$1 for his initial engagement period of six months

** Stock advanced 30% last year, after slumping more than 86% between 2021 and 2023

($1 = 1.6100 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Jasmeen Ara Islam Shaikh)

((JasmeenAraIslam.Shaikh@thomsonreuters.com;))