Pritam Singh to contest charges on alleged perjury in 2021 Privileges hearing

SINGAPORE: Pritam Singh, Leader of the Opposition and Chief of the Workers’ Party (WP), was seen at the State Court on Tuesday (19 March) morning at approximately 10:45 am.

He faced charges of providing false information to a parliamentary committee, following a two-year investigation initiated by the police into his conduct during the Committee of Privileges proceedings related to former WP Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan case.

The 47-year-old, representing himself, entered pleas of not guilty to the two charges under Section 31(q) of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities, and Powers) Act and opted for trial.

He requested a four-week adjournment to secure legal representation. A pre-trial conference has been scheduled for 17 April.

Ms Khan, a former MP of the WP, confessed to providing false information in parliament in 2021 regarding a rape case that she claimed was mishandled by the police.

Consequently, she was referred to the Committee of Privileges for breaching parliamentary privilege.

Several witnesses, including Ms Khan, Mr Singh, and prominent figures from the WP, testified during the hearings held in late 2021 and early 2022.

As outlined in a joint statement by the Singapore Police Force and Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC), Mr Pritam Singh faces specific charges:

1. On 10 December 2021, Mr Pritam Singh falsely testified that as at the conclusion of his meeting with Ms Raeesah Khan, WP Chairman Ms Sylvia Lim and Mr Faisal Manap on 8 August 2021, he wanted Ms Raeesah to, at some point, clarify in Parliament that what she told Parliament on 3 August 2021 about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station was untrue.
2. On 10 and 15 December 2021, Mr Singh falsely testified that when he spoke to Ms Raeesah on 3 October 2021, he wanted her to admit to having lied to Parliament on 3 August 2021 about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station, if this issue were to come up in Parliament on 4 October 2021.

No charges against WP MP Faisal Manap

The joint statement also noted that the Prosecution, having considered the totality of the evidence, has decided not to prefer any charges against Mr Faisal Manap, WP MP for Aljunied GRC for his refusal to answer relevant questions that had been put to him by the COP.

“Nonetheless, the Police have, in consultation with the Prosecution, issued an advisory to Mr Faisal Manap on 18 March 2024 to advise him to familiarise himself with the conduct expected of Members of Parliament under the Act and to refrain from any act that may be in breach of it. Mr Faisal Manap has acknowledged the advisory.”

Mr Singh disclosed in December 2021 that the party leadership was aware of Ms Khan’s falsehood in a parliamentary speech, a week after she delivered it on 3 August.

However, she reiterated her false statement in October 2021 and did not correct the record in parliament until a month later, on 1 November, when she confessed to lying and apologized in the House.

In its final report on 10 February 2022, the Committee of Privileges recommended that Mr Singh and WP vice-chairman Faisal Manap be referred to the public prosecutor for giving false testimony under oath.

The committee comprised then Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, Minister for Sustainability and Environment Grace Fu, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong, Senior Minister of State for Manpower and Defence Zaqy Mohamad, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Health and Law Rahayu Mahzam, MP for Hougang and WP organising secretary Dennis Tan, and Chua Chu Kang GRC MP Don Wee.

Following their thorough investigation, the committee found Ms Khan guilty of abuse of privilege, proposing a fine of S$35,000.

Notably, the committee determined that Singh played a role in advising Ms Khan not to retract her initial falsehood and found him untruthful in claiming he urged her to correct the record during the hearings.

Singh has consistently denied the allegations and asserted that he afforded Ms Khan time to clarify her statements due to her past trauma as a sexual assault survivor.

Lying before a parliamentary committee is a criminal offence, punishable under the Act with a maximum fine of S$7,000 and imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

When questioned by media reporters at the court, Mr Singh said he would release a statement at a later time.