UPDATE on Mar. 20 at 11:45am: This article has been updated to include a Mar. 19 Facebook post and further comments on Mar. 20 from Progress Singapore Party's Leong Mun Wai.

Workers' Party (WP) Secretary-General Pritam Singh, 47, was charged in Court on Mar. 19, 2024.

He faces two charges under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act.

This is two years after the police started investigations into his conduct before the Committee of Privileges (COP).

1. Why was Pritam Singh charged?

On Feb. 10, 2022, the COP presented its report to Parliament regarding the lie made by former WP Member of Parliament (MP) Raeesah Khan.

It suggested that Singh be referred to the Public Prosecutor.

The report concluded that Singh had lied on affirmation.

While Parliament could impose sanctions on Singh based on the COP's findings, the COP said it appeared best that the issue be dealt through a trial process given the seriousness of the matter.

Vice-Chair of WP, Faisal Manap, was also referred to the Public Prosecutor for refusing to answer questions put forth by the COP.

2. What lie did Raeesah Khan tell?

On Nov. 1, 2021, Raeesah admitted to Parliament that she had previously lied in Parliament and apologised for her actions.

During her speech on Aug. 3, 2021, on WP's motion on empowering women, she said that she accompanied a 25-year-old rape survivor to make a police report.

The survivor apparently came out of the police station crying after a police officer allegedly made comments about how the survivor was dressed and the fact that she had been drinking.

On Oct. 4, 2021, the Minister for Law and Home Affairs, K Shanmugam, pressed Raeesah for more information about the claim.

The police later stated they could not identify the report matching Raeesah's claim or the officers allegedly involved.

Raeesah admitted that she had heard the survivor share in a women's support group that she was part of but had not been present with the survivor as she shared.

Raeesah then shared that she attended the support group because she was a survivor of sexual assault, having been sexually assaulted when she was 18 years old and studying abroad.

On Nov. 1, 2021, the Leader of the House, Indranee Rajah, referred the matter to the COP.

3. What are Pritam Singh's charges?

Singh was handed two charges under section 31(q) of the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act for wilfully making false answers to material questions put to him during examination by the COP.

Singh is accused of falsely testifying that, as the conclusion of his meeting with Raeesah, WP leader Sylvia Lim and Manap on Aug. 8, 2021, he wanted Raeesah to, at some point, clarify in parliament what she told MPs on Aug. 3, 2021, about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station was untrue.

Singh allegedly falsely testified on Dec. 10, 2021, and Dec. 15, 2021, that when he spoke to Raeesah on Oct. 3, 2021, he wanted her to admit to having lied to parliament on Aug. 3, 2021, about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station, if the issue were to surface in parliament on Oct. 4, 2021.

4. Was Faisal Manap charged?

Faisal will not be charged for refusing to answer the questions put to him by the COP during the hearings regarding the lie made by Raeesah, said SPF and AGC.

The Prosecution considered the totality of the evidence and decided not to prefer any charges against Faisal.

However, the police, in consultation with the Prosecution, issued him an advisory on Mar. 18, 2024.

Faisal was advised to "familiarise himself with the conduct expected of Members of Parliament under the [Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act]  and to refrain from any act that may be in breach of it."

He has acknowledged the advisory, said SPF and AGC.

5. What are the penalties for Pritam?

SPF and AGC said the offences are punishable with a fine of up to S$7,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.

The AGC also said that if Singh is convicted, the prosecution will ask the Court to impose a fine for each charge.

6. What does Pritam Singh say about the charges?

In a statement on Mar. 19, Singh said he will continue with all his Parliamentary duties and town council responsibilities until the legal proceedings come to a close.

He reiterated that he pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

Singh added that he was "under no illusion" as to the challenges of building a "more balanced and democratic political system in Singapore" since he entered politics and said it was his "privilege and honour" to be part of the WP team.

He concluded that he will "continue to play [his] part in this endeavour" and thanked Singaporeans for supporting WP.

7. Can Pritam Singh continue as a Member of Parliament if he is found guilty?

Speaking to Mothership, Singapore Management University law professor Eugene Tan said the AGC has indicated that it would not be pressing for a custodial sentence and that it would make the case for a fine of S$7000 for each charge, the maximum fine under s 36(1)(b) of the Act.

Tan noted that "the court may disagree that a custodial sentence is not required and/or the proposition that the maximum fine be imposed for each of the two charges".

But Singh will likely make the case that a custodial sentence is not required on the facts of the case.

Tan said,

"Assuming that Singh is found guilty by the court and the court imposes only maximum fines, Singh will not be disqualified from Parliament. There is no basis in the Constitution to treat the two set of fines cumulatively. In my view, Singh is under no real risk of losing his parliamentary seat."

On May. 9, 2022, the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore (Amendment) Bill passed in parliament, revising the fine quantum for disqualification from "not less than S$2,000" to "not less than S$10,00."

This means that Singh could not be disqualified as an MP unless he is convicted and fined more than S$10,000 or sentenced to jail for a term of not less than one year.

If an MP is disqualified, the disqualification period is five years from the date the person is released from custody or when the fine is imposed.

During this time, the person cannot stand for election as an MP.

8. Will the People's Action Party seek Pritam Singh's suspension?

Speaking on behalf of the People's Action Party (PAP), Organising Secretary Grace Fu said that PAP MPs "will not be seeking Mr Singh's suspension as an MP while legal proceedings are pending."

"This is in line with Parliament’s resolution to defer any sanctions in respect of Mr Singh’s, Ms Sylvia Lim’s, and Mr Faisal’s respective roles in the matter of former MP Raeesah Khan’s untruth, until after the conclusion of the investigations and criminal proceedings (if any) against Mr Singh."

Fu added that the PAP's stance on the matter is "consistent" with its position on a motion filed by Hazel Poa, a non-Constituency Member of Parliament (NCMP) and Secretary-General of the Progress Singapore Party (PSP), in September 2023.

9. Will other political parties seek Pritam Singh's suspension?

In September 2023, Poa filed a motion for Parliament to suspend then-Minister for Transport S Iswaran from his MP duties while he was being investigated for corruption.

However, in a Facebook post on Mar. 19, PSP's Leong Mun Wai expressed his support for Singh.

He wrote that he "will support Mr Pritam Singh as he continues to serve Singaporeans as Leader of the Opposition," and wished him "all the best as he seeks to clear his name in court."

Leong clarified in the comments on Mar. 20 that the PSP stance is that an MP or minister under investigation for corruption who is suspended from official duties should be placed on no-pay leave until the investigation or criminal case has concluded.

Leong pointed out that in Singh's case, he was not charged with corruption and was not suspended from his official duties by the Workers' Party.

"If the MP or minister subsequently resumes their official duties after being cleared by the investigation or criminal case, they should be entitled full back-pay for the period during which they were on leave of absence."

10. When will Pritam Singh be back in Court?

Singh requested for a four-week adjournment to engage counsel.

A pre-trial conference hearing is fixed for Apr. 17 at 9am.

Top photos via Mothership & govsg/YouTube