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In a major legal ruling, Singapore's opposition leader Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a conviction of lying to a legislative panel.

Earlier this year, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his management of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had confessed to lying in parliament.

During a short hearing before a packed public gallery on Friday, the judge stated that the evidence presented upheld Singh's conviction.

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who leads the main opposition Workers' Party, expressed that he was "disappointed" with the ruling but acknowledged it "fully and without reservation".

He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse after the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he remarked to the press.

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh retains his seat in parliament and stated his intention to keep working for Singaporeans alongside his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan claimed in parliament that she had seen police misbehave towards a sexual assault victim.

She later confessed her account was untrue, but testified during a official inquiry that party leaders, such as Singh, had advised her to "stick to the story" even though they were aware 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.

Judicial Reasoning

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 during the entire proceedings, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

During the appeal hearing, Singh's lawyer contended 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 served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan own up in the weeks after learning of her lie, his lawyer stated that he had other pressing commitments to attend to.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, 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 in the past alleged Singapore's government of using the judiciary to target its rivals—charges that the government have consistently denied.

The Workers' Party is the sole rival group in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.