SINGAPORE: Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh has apologised to the court for statements he made on the CNA programme The Assembly about a case where he was found guilty of lying to a parliamentary committee.
In a Facebook post on Saturday (Dec 13), Pritam, who is WP chief, said: “I accept that my statements may be construed to be in contempt of court, including to impugn the integrity, propriety or impartiality of the court.
“Given that, I wholly and unreservedly apologise to the court and will avoid making comments to the same or similar effect in future.”
Mediacorp – CNA’s parent company – has also apologised for and taken down the interview after being told by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) that it was in contempt of court.
The Ministry of Law (MinLaw) in a Dec 13 statement said Pritam ’s comments “are very wrong, and have no place in a system founded on the rule of law”.
The episode aired on Nov 5, a day after Pritam ’s appeal against his conviction was heard, with the court reserving its judgment. His appeal was later dismissed.
When asked about the case on the programme, Pritam had said to neurodivergent interviewers that he believes the court of public opinion can be bigger than any court in the world.
Pritam also said his party’s respectable performance at the May general election showed what the public thought of his role in the saga resulting in Khan’s resignation from Parliament. Khan had resigned in 2021 after admitting to giving a false anecdote in the House.
He had also said that his political opponents will “do whatever it takes to lower my esteem and the esteem of my party in the public eye.”
MinLaw in its Dec 13 statement said Pritam ’s comments suggested that the prosecution against him by the AGC and, by extension, his conviction by the Magistrate’s Court, were politically motivated – impugning the integrity of the court and legal system.
It added that he had suggested that the court of public opinion, demonstrated by results at the May general election, was more important than the court’s judgment.
