SINGAPORE, Dec 4 — Singapore Opposition Leader Pritam Singh today failed a bid to overturn his conviction for lying to a parliamentary committee.
High Court judge Steven Chong ruled that the lower court’s verdict was supported by evidence, noting Pritam had hoped he would not have to address the untruth told by former party member Raeesah Khan, Singapore news outlet CNA reported.
Pritam was convicted on two charges over false answers related to Raeesah’s claim that she visited a police station with a rape victim, which she later admitted was untrue.
The Eunos MP was fined a total of S$14,000 (RM113,000), below the threshold that would disqualify him from Parliament.
The trial judge found Pritam did not guide Raeesah to correct her lie and questioned his credibility.
In contrast, the judge said Raeesah and her aides “displayed courage in testifying and speaking the truth,” despite the defence’s attempts to undermine them.
During the appeal, Pritam’s lawyer argued he acted with caution and integrity, but the court rejected these claims and upheld the conviction.
According to CNA, the penalties for lying to the Committee of Privileges include up to three years in jail, a fine of up to S$7,000 (RM56,500) per charge, or both.
