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In a major legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has lost his appeal against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

Earlier this year, Singh was fined S$14,000 for two offenses connected with his handling of former lawmaker Raeesah Khan, who had admitted to giving false testimony in parliament.

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

Reaction from the Accused

Singh, who heads the main political opposition, expressed that he was "disheartened" with the decision but acknowledged it "completely and unequivocally".

He promptly paid his fines at the courthouse following the hearing. "It's best to settle this now," he commented to reporters.

Despite the conviction, Singh retains his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans together with his party members.

Background of the Case

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

She later admitted her account was untrue, but stated during a parliamentary committee investigation that party leaders, such as Singh, had instructed 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 penalized S$35,000 for perjury and misusing her legislative immunity.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court ruled 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, argued that he had wanted to allow Khan space to handle what was a delicate issue.

Points Contested

During the November court session, Singh's legal counsel contended that the lower court had "ignored crucial pieces of evidence" in its initial judgment.

The defense also sought to cast doubt on the credibility of Khan and her assistants, who served as witnesses.

When asked why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" 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 prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to come clean.

Broader Context

Singh's case is notable as one of the rare criminal convictions against a current opposition parliamentarian.

Critics have in the past alleged Singapore's government of using the judiciary to pursue its political opponents—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.