Singapore – Blogger Leong Sze Hian has received a follow-up letter from Carson Law Chambers regarding his outstanding balance of S$21,000 for the two summonses on his defamation case filed by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
On Mar 14, Leong had received a letter addressed to his lawyer and opposition party leader Lim Tean regarding the summonses.
“As you know, on 12 March 2019, the Honourable Justice Aedit Abdullah allowed SUM 148 and dismissed SUM 428 and on 13 March 2019, His Honour ordered your client to pay our client costs of $6,000 (all in) in respect of SUM 148 and $15,000 (all in) in respect of SUM 428,” stated the letter.
“Please let us have a cheque for $21,000 by no later than 5pm on 21 March 2019,” it added.
With the deadline having passed, Leong received another letter on Mar 27 (Wed) stating: “Your client has not paid the $21,000 of costs that the Court has ordered. We have been instructed to remind your client to pay these costs in full without further delay.”
The letter ended with: “If your client fails to do so by 5pm on Monday, 1 April 2019, our client will be compelled to exercise his legal rights to recover these costs that he has incurred as a result of your client’s actions.”
Posted by Leong Sze Hian on Saturday, 30 March 2019
PM Lee filed a defamation claim against Leong for sharing a Facebook post last November which allegedly linked the prime minister to the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal.
Davinder Singh, PM Lee’s lawyer, applied to cancel the counterclaim by Leong even before the latter applied for his counterclaim. The blogger is now fighting the claim against him and has filed a counterclaim against PM Lee for “abusing the process of the court.”
Read more below:
https://theindependent.sg.sg/blogger-leong-sze-hian-ordered-to-pay-21000-in-costs/
/TISG