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In a notable legal ruling, Singapore's main political rival Pritam Singh has failed in his challenge against a guilty verdict of providing false statements to a legislative panel.

In February, Singh was ordered to pay 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 full public gallery on Friday, the presiding judge ruled that the evidence presented upheld Singh's conviction.

Reaction from the Accused

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

He promptly paid his fines at the court complex after the hearing. "Might as well get it done," he commented to reporters.

Notwithstanding the verdict, Singh keeps his seat in parliament and affirmed his commitment to continue serving Singaporeans alongside his party members.

The Underlying Saga

The controversy originated in 2021 when Raeesah Khan asserted in parliament that she had witnessed police misbehave towards a survivor.

She later confessed her anecdote was fabricated, but stated during a official inquiry 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 lying and abusing her parliamentary privilege.

Judicial Reasoning

In February, the court ruled that Singh's actions were "strongly indicative" that he did not want Khan to correct the falsehood.

Singh, who protested his innocence throughout the trial, countered that he had wanted to allow Khan space to deal with what was a sensitive issue.

Points Contested

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

The defense also attempted to question the reliability of Khan and her aides, who provided testimony.

When questioned why Singh appeared to be "taking no action" to have Khan own up in the weeks following his discovery of her lie, his lawyer explained that he had other urgent professional and personal matters to manage.

The prosecution, however, argued that Singh's lack of action, coupled with other evidence, proved he never intended for Khan to tell the truth.

Wider Implications

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

Critics have previously accused Singapore's government of leveraging the courts to pursue its rivals—charges that the government have consistently denied.

The Workers' Party is the only opposition party in Singapore's current parliament, where it holds 12 out of 99 seats.