Pritam Singh, the head of the Workers ‘ Party and the Leader of the Opposition, has hired professionals to protect him from the two accusations he faces of lying to a Committee of Privileges over Raeesah Khan’s event.
On Wednesday morning ( April 17 ), Singh, 47, did not show up in person for a pre-trial hearing in the State Courts to get the accused and the defendant ready for trial.
Pre-trial events are typically held in halls, which are closed to the media and the general public. They can also be accessed via a Zoom picture phone.
Singh was recently represented by Andre Darius Jumabhoy and Aristotle Emmanuel Eng Zhen Yang, who both represented him in court before District Judge Chee Min Ping.
The pre-trial seminar may be postponed until May 31, according to a word in the court’s system, which stated that “defence counsel has been recently instructed.”
Mr. Jumabhoy is the owner of an eponymous store law company. On his website, he is described as” a dedicated trial lawyer” with experience in criminal and civil law, as well as white-collar crime.
He began his legal career in 2003 as a solicitor in London and returned to Singapore in 2011, joining the Attorney-General’s Chambers as a Deputy Public Prosecutor.
In 2002, he received his Master of Laws from King’s College London.
When contacted by CNA for a speech, Mr Jumabhoy’s law agency confirmed that they were acting for Singh, but said they could not provide additional knowledge at this stage.
In the public hear room at Parliament House, Singh is accused of knowingly responding with false information on December 10, 2021, and December 15, 2021, according to the two charges.
This was the subject of a Committee of Privileges investigation involving Raeesah Khan, who had allegedly lied about a sexual assault case and accused the police of handling the case improperly.
Singh allegedly falsely claimed that he had spoken to Ms. Khan to tell her about her alleged false testimony in Parliament about accompanying a murder victim to a policeman station.
When Singh was first charged in court on March 19, he entered a not-guilty plea to his claims.
If convicted of lying under the Parliament ( Privileges, Immunities and Powers ) Act, he could be jailed for up to three years, fined up to S$ 7,000, or both per charge.