In a significant court decision, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of lying to a legislative panel.
In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two charges related to his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.
During a brief hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the judge declared that the evidence presented justified Singh's conviction.
Singh, who heads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation".
He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to reporters.
Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his parliamentary seat and stated his commitment to keep working for Singaporeans together with his colleagues.
The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a survivor.
She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, including Singh, had advised her to "stick to the story" despite knowing it was a lie.
Khan has since resigned from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for perjury and abusing her parliamentary privilege.
In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.
Singh, who maintained his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a sensitive issue.
During the November court session, Singh's lawyer argued that the lower court had "overlooked key proof" in its original ruling.
The defense also attempted to question the reliability of Khan and her aides, who served as witnesses.
When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan confess in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other pressing commitments to manage.
The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.
Singh's case is significant as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.
Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—allegations that the government have consistently denied.
The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.
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