🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Affirms Guilty Verdict for Opposition Leader Pritam Singh Pritam Singh was present at a court session in November to appeal against his conviction. In a notable legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of lying to a legislative panel. Earlier this year, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two charges connected with his management 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 ruled that the evidence presented justified Singh's guilty verdict. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally". He settled his fines at the court complex following the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he remarked to reporters. Despite the conviction, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and stated his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his colleagues. The Underlying Saga The entire episode originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had witnessed police act inappropriately towards a survivor. She later admitted her anecdote was fabricated, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised her to "continue with the narrative" even though they were aware it was a lie. Khan has since resigned from both the party and parliament. She was fined S$35,000 for perjury and misusing her legislative immunity. Court's Rationale In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie. Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a delicate issue. The Appeal Arguments During the appeal hearing, Singh's legal counsel contended that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its original ruling. The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who provided testimony. When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan own up in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage. The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, alongside other evidence, proved he never wanted Khan to come clean. Broader Context Singh's case is notable as one of the very few criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian. Observers have in the past alleged Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—charges that the government have always rejected. The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's present legislature, where it occupies 12 out of 99 seats.