Singapore, Feb 17 (NationPress) The opposition leader of Singapore, Pritam Singh, has been convicted on two counts of deceiving the parliament, as announced by a judge on Monday.

Singh, who serves as the Secretary-General of the Workers' Party (WP) and leads the opposition in parliament, was found guilty in relation to an investigation concerning former WP member Raeesah Khan. Khan resigned in 2021 after confessing to making false statements in parliament.

In August 2021, Khan falsely asserted that she had escorted a sexual assault victim to a police station, where the victim was treated improperly. She reiterated this claim until she finally admitted in November 2021 that it was a fabrication, according to local media outlets. Subsequently, the matter was referred to the parliament's Committee of Privileges to initiate an inquiry.

During this inquiry, Singh faced allegations of making misleading statements regarding his involvement in the case. The court determined that he lied about the timing and nature of his advice to Khan about coming forward. Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan concluded that Singh's testimony was either inconsistent with the evidence or lacked credibility, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The trial for Singh extended over 13 days from October to November 2024. The prosecution is pursuing the maximum penalty of 7,000 Singapore dollars (approximately 5,250 US dollars) for each count. Singh's defense attorney contested the proposed fine, arguing that Singh was not implicated in the original deception.

In May 2024, Lawrence Wong took over from Lee Hsien Loong as the Prime Minister of Singapore after Lee's extensive two-decade period in office. Wong is set to lead the ruling People's Action Party in the upcoming general elections, which must occur by November 2025, although the exact date remains undecided.