Criminal Charges Against Singapore Opposition Leader Over Lying Scandal

Pritam Singh

Pritam Singh, leading opposition figure in Singapore hauled before the courts for making false statements while testifying

Pritam Singh, the head of Singapore's opposition, is being accused of lying to a parliamentary committee while testifying under oath.

The allegations center on his treatment of Raeesah Khan, a former party member who acknowledged making up a tale about improper behavior by police against a woman who had been sexually assaulted when she was a legislator.

Mr. Singh angrily denied any misconduct in reaction to the accusations and promised to refute them in court.

Prosecutors, however, are seeking for harsher punishments, such as fines and maybe losing Mr. Singh's parliamentary seat.

When Raeesah Khan, a Workers' Party member at the time, made up the accusation that a victim of sexual assault had been mistreated by the police, it caused a stir in August 2021.

Khan was punished and forced to leave from her job after acknowledging her deceit.

Singh was asked to testify about how he handled the Khan case during a later examination by a parliamentary committee.

Singh refuted her accusation that he had urged her to continue spreading her bogus story.

Singh did concede, though, that he had given Khan “too much time” to deal with the problem before acting.

The committee recommended a criminal investigation into Singh's actions after coming to the conclusion that he had given false testimony.

Singh is accused of purposefully giving the committee misleading information about Khan's case. If found guilty, he may face jail time and heavy fines.

In Singapore, legislators found guilty of crimes face the possibility of losing their seats and being ineligible for further elections if the fines beyond certain limits.