Singapore’s opposition leader, Pritam Singh, has been found guilty of two counts of lying to parliament, a judge ruled on Monday.
Singh, who serves as the secretary-general of the Workers’ Party (WP) and leader of the opposition, was convicted following an investigation into former WP lawmaker Raeesah Khan.
Case Background
Khan resigned in 2021 after admitting to making false statements in parliament.
In August 2021, she falsely claimed that she had accompanied a sexual assault victim to a police station, where the victim was allegedly treated inappropriately.
She repeated the claim several times before admitting in November 2021 that it was untrue, as reported by local media.
The matter was then referred to parliament’s Committee of Privileges, which launched an investigation into the case.
Singh’s Involvement
During the inquiry, Singh was accused of making false statements regarding his role in handling the issue.
The court ruled that he lied about when and how he had advised Khan to reveal the truth.
Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan found Singh’s testimony to be inconsistent with the facts or not credible.
Legal Consequences
Singh’s trial lasted 13 days, from October to November 2024.
The prosecution is now seeking the maximum fine of 7,000 Singapore dollars (5,250 U.S. dollars) per charge.
However, Singh’s lawyer has objected, arguing that his client was not directly involved in Khan’s original false statements.