Singapore’s Opposition Leader of Indian Descent Convicted of Perjury in Parliament

SINGAPORE, Feb 17: Pritam Singh, the Leader of the Opposition of Indian descent in Singapore, was found guilty on Monday of providing false testimony to a parliamentary committee. This ruling could potentially lead to his disqualification from Parliament and prevent him from participating in the upcoming general election.
The verdict, rendered in the State Courts by Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan, resulted in Singh’s conviction on two charges.
The allegations concern Singh’s management of Raeesah Khan, a former member of his party, who falsely testified in Parliament regarding her claims.
The charges against Singh involve intentionally giving two misleading answers to the Committee of Privileges (COP) during its investigation into Khan’s case on December 10 and December 15, 2021.
This situation arose from Singh’s response to Khan’s inaccurate statement about accompanying a sexual assault victim to the police station.
He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, a fine up to SGD 7,000 (USD 5,290), or both for each count.
Singh’s trial commenced four months prior.
The political implications of this conviction could lead to Singh being disqualified from his parliamentary position and hinder his candidacy in the next general election, which is due by November 2025.
Judge Tan stated, “Any claim he made to the COP contrary to this was a lie he deliberately told.” The sentencing for this case will be announced later today. (PTI)