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Appeal dismissed in high-profile parliamentary case
Singapore's main opposition leader, Pritam Singh, has failed in his bid to overturn a conviction for misleading a parliamentary committee, a court ruled on Friday.
Court upholds earlier verdict
During a brief hearing attended by a full public gallery, the judge stated that the evidence firmly supported Singh's February conviction. He was fined S$14,000 (approximately $10,800) for two charges linked to his handling of a former party lawmaker who admitted lying in parliament.
Singh, who leads the Workers' Party, expressed disappointment but accepted the decision without protest. He settled the fine immediately after the hearing, telling reporters, "Might as well get it done."
Singh to remain in parliament
Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat and vowed to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his colleagues. The Workers' Party holds 12 of the 99 seats in parliament, making it the sole opposition presence in the current legislature.
Background to the controversy
The case stems from a 2021 incident in which former Workers' Party lawmaker Raeesah Khan falsely claimed during a parliamentary session that she had witnessed police misconduct toward a sexual assault victim. Khan later admitted the story was untrue but testified that party leaders, including Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing the lie.
Khan resigned from both the party and parliament and was fined S$35,000 for perjury and abusing parliamentary privilege.
Legal arguments and counterarguments
In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions suggested he had no intention of correcting Khan's false statement. Singh, who has consistently maintained his innocence, argued that he had wanted to give Khan time to address the sensitive issue.
During his November appeal, Singh's lawyer contended that the original ruling had overlooked key evidence and questioned the credibility of Khan and her aides, who testified against him.
When pressed by the judge about why Singh appeared to take no action to prompt Khan to correct her statement in the weeks following her admission, his lawyer cited other pressing professional and personal commitments.
The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's inaction, combined with other evidence, demonstrated he never intended for Khan to come forward with the truth.
A rare conviction for an opposition lawmaker
Singh's case is notable as one of the few criminal convictions against a sitting opposition member in Singapore. Critics have previously accused the government of using the judiciary to target political opponents, a claim authorities have consistently denied.
