Singapore Court Affirms Guilty Verdict for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh

In a significant legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a parliamentary committee.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay S$14,000 for two offenses related to his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.

During a brief hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge stated that the evidence presented supported Singh's guilty verdict.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the decision but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation".

He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse following the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to the press.

Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and affirmed his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans together with his colleagues.

Background of the Case

The entire episode began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a sexual assault victim.

She later admitted her account was fabricated, but stated during a official inquiry that party leaders, including Singh, had instructed her to "stick to the story" even though they were aware it was a lie.

Khan has since resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.

Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

The Appeal Arguments

During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer argued that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its initial judgment.

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her aides, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other pressing commitments to manage.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to come clean.

Broader Context

Singh's case is notable as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its rivals—allegations that the government have always rejected.

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.