Singapore’s Punjab-origin oppn leader hires lawyers to contest ‘perjury’ charges

The 47-year-old secretary-general of the Workers’ Party was represented by two lawyers on Wednesday at a pre-trial conference in the State Courts -- an administrative hearing to prepare the prosecution and the accused for trial.

Singapore

Leader of the Opposition in Singapore Pritam Singh

Leader of the Opposition in Singapore Pritam Singh has hired lawyers to defend him against the two charges the Indian-origin lawmaker is facing of lying to a Committee of Privileges in Parliament over the case of his fellow legislator Raeesah Khan.

The 47-year-old secretary-general of the Workers’ Party was represented by two lawyers on Wednesday at a pre-trial conference in the State Courts -- an administrative hearing to prepare the prosecution and the accused for trial.

Pre-trial conferences are usually held in chambers and are inaccessible to the media or the public. They can also be held over Zoom video calls.

Singh was newly represented by lawyers Andre Darius Jumabhoy and Aristotle Emmanuel Eng Zhen Yang, Channel News Asia reported.

A note in the court’s system indicated that the pre-trial conference would be adjourned to May 31.

The two charges Singh faces allege that he wilfully made a false answer on December 10 and December 15, 2021, in the public hearing room at Parliament House.

This was during an inquiry before the Committee of Privileges, centring on the case of Raeesah Khan, who had lied over a sexual assault case and accused the police of mishandling the case.

Singh allegedly testified falsely that he had wanted Khan to clarify what she said in Parliament about accompanying a rape victim to a police station and that he spoke to Khan to convey to her that she had to clarify what she said over the same issue. Singh pleaded not guilty when first charged in court on March 19.

Lying in response to questions posed by a parliamentary committee is considered a criminal offence and carries a maximum fine of SGD 7,000 ( ₹43 lakh) and a jail term of up to three years, or both.