🔗 Share this article Singapore Court Confirms Guilty Verdict for Political Rival Pritam Singh Pritam Singh attended a court session in November to challenge his conviction. In a notable court decision, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a legislative panel. In February, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses related to 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 upheld Singh's guilty verdict. Reaction from the Accused Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the ruling but accepted it "fully and without reservation". He promptly paid his fines at the court complex following the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to reporters. Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh keeps his parliamentary seat and stated his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his colleagues. The Underlying Saga The controversy began in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had seen police misbehave towards a sexual assault victim. She later confessed her anecdote was untrue, but testified during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, including Singh, had instructed her to "continue with the narrative" despite knowing it was a lie. Khan has since stepped down from both the party and parliament. She was penalized S$35,000 for lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege. Court's Rationale In February, the court determined that Singh's actions were "highly suggestive" that he did not want Khan to clarify her lie. Singh, who protested his innocence during the entire proceedings, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a sensitive issue. Points Contested During the appeal hearing, Singh's legal counsel argued that the initial court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment. The defense also attempted to question the credibility of Khan and her aides, who provided testimony. When questioned why Singh appeared to be "doing nothing" to have Khan confess in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other pressing commitments to attend to. The state's attorneys, however, argued that Singh's inaction, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth. Broader Context Singh's case is significant as one of the rare criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian. Observers have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to target its political opponents—charges that authorities have always rejected. The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's present legislature, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.