Judge: Pritam Singh is guilty of two counts of lying to parliamentary committee

SINGAPORE: The verdict in the case filed against Pritam Singh, the secretary-general of The Workers’ Party, in connection with the controversy involving former Workers’ Party MP Raeesah Khan was delivered on Monday morning (Feb 17), with Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan saying he found Mr Singh guilty of two counts of lying to the Committee of Privileges in Parliament.

On the first charge against Mr Singh, who claimed that on Aug 8, 2021, he had wanted Ms Khan to clarify the untruths she told in Parliament. Judge Tan, however, accepted Ms Khan’s narrative that Mr Singh told her to “take it to the grave.” While the defence endeavoured to present her as someone who repeatedly lied, the Judge said there was “no real discrepancy” in her accounts.

Similarly, on the second charge against Mr Singh, Judge Tan said he believed Ms Khan’s account over the WP chief’s. He said Mr Singh “never wanted Ms Khan to tell the truth if the issue came up in Parliament” on Oct 4, 2021. It was only after he had met with his predecessor, former WP chief Low Thia Khiang, that Mr Singh and party chair Sylvia Lim told Ms Khan on Oct 11 to clarify that she had lied, the Judge said.

Mr Singh, Singapore’s first designated Leader of the Opposition, is scheduled to be sentenced later this month. The Attorney-General’s Chambers, however, earlier indicated that only a fine would be sought should the WP chief be convicted. The prosecution said it seeks a fine of $7,000 for each charge, the maximum amount under the law.

The charges against Pritam Singh

The charges against Mr Singh stem from allegations that he misled the parliamentary committee to investigate Ms Khan when the committee questioned him on Dec 10 and 15, 2021. Ms Khan resigned from the WP and stepped down from her position on Nov 30, 2021, after it was revealed that she lied in Parliament on more than one occasion.

During a meeting with Ms Khan and other WP leaders in August, Mr Singh allegedly told Ms Khan to retract her statements in Parliament. On other occasions, Mr Singh is said to have urged Ms Khan to come forward about her false statements if the issue was raised in Parliament on Oct 4, 2021.

Ms Khan was later fined S$35,000 for abusing parliamentary privilege.

In response to the committee’s findings, Parliament endorsed a recommendation to refer Mr Singh and WP vice-chairman Faisal Manap to the public prosecutor for further investigation with the potential for criminal proceedings.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) and the police announced that no charges would be brought against Mr Faisal. He was instead given an advisory to familiarize himself with the conduct expected of an MP under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities, and Powers) Act and desist from acts that may be in breach of it.

Mr Singh, however, was later charged with two counts of providing false information while under oath during his testimony before the committee. The committee, which called Mr Singh as a witness, concluded that his testimony lacked truthfulness.

On March 19, 2024, he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial, which took place in two tranches from Oct 14 to Nov 8. Mr Singh’s case is believed to be the first prosecution under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act. /TISG

Read also: Breaking: Pritam Singh pleads not guilty to lying charge in Raeesah Khan scandal, claims trial