Connect with us

Current Affairs

“We all know I’m being persecuted” – Ngerng’s teary outburst in court

Published

9 years ago

on

Roy Ngerng outside of High Court. (Image - Terry Xu)

Roy Ngerng outside of High Court. (Image – Terry Xu)

Blogger Roy Ngerng was pushed almost to breaking point on Friday when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s lawyer Davinder Singh continued his cross-examination, bursting into tears under the barrage of accusations.

Throughout the day Singh sought to establish Ngerng as having been insincere in his apology to Lee, while also deliberately seeking to escalate and aggravate the situation even after admitting that he had defamed the Prime Minister in a blog post that drew links between the City Harvest Church trial for criminal misappropriation and the way the Central Provident Fund is managed.

“You would say whatever is convenient to get your way,” Singh accused Ngerng, adding that the latter had only apologised and made an offer of $5,000 in damages last May to “get away [with defamation] on the cheap.”

He said that Ngerng – despite insisting that he was really sorry for having defamed Lee – had continued to publish the “offending words and images” in emails to the international media as well as subsequent blog posts bearing Lee’s first letter of demand and affidavits, which contained the defamatory statements.

“Your apologies are meaningless and insincere.” said Singh, as Ngerng sat in the witness box. “Every step of the way you were calculating, you were plotting.” He also claimed that Ngerng had “capitalised” on Lee’s initial letter of demand to generate interest in and attract attention to his blog.

Singh then shifted his focus to Ngerng’s financial situation and connections with foreign organisations.

He pointed out that Ngerng had sought to ask the court to take into account of his financial difficulties in the assessment of damages and noted that Ngerng did not have the financial means to pay high damages. Ngerng began to cry as Singh questioned him on his financial situation and his June 2014 crowdfunding campaign.

Ngerng’s legal costs had been partially funded by a sum of £5,000 ($10,490) from London-based Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI), and he had also received legal assistance from the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and Centre for International Law (CentreLaw) from the Philippines, who both produced briefs submitted with his affidavit.

Singh said that Ngerng had chosen to “use foreign organisations to put pressure” on the court, as well as to “campaign against Singapore.”

“Mr Singh, Mr Lee is not Singapore. Lee Hsien Loong is not Singapore,” an exasperated Ngerng responded.

“You have sought to use a foreign organisation to suggest that this court would be denying freedom of expression or impairing it if it were to award damages. … You are saying to this court that the plaintiff has sued you because of political opinions,” Singh persisted, which he claimed was a signal that Ngerng was seeking to “reopen the issue” even after the court had already ruled in a summary judgement that his blog post was defamatory.

Justice Lee Seiu Kin interrupted Singh to clarify that he felt “absolutely no pressure” from foreign organisations. He added that, in view of the fact that Ngerng has no legal counsel, he would look at the briefs submitted to him and consider the points highlighted.

When Singh said that Ngerng had at no point been told that he could no longer write about the CPF, the latter asserted that his case did concern the issue of free speech, expressing his worry about his ability to speak up on local issues because he was not sure what other consequences he would have to face.

“Let us be honest, we all know that I am being persecuted,” he said, breaking down in tears, a second time as he said that he had always directed his advocacy at the government rather than an individual.

Justice Lee Seiu Kin swiftly put a stop to affairs, asking Ngerng if he was in a fit state to continue being cross-examined before announcing that the court would break for lunch.

Singh brought a day-and-a-half’s cross-examination to an end after the break by continuing to take issue with inconsistencies in some of Ngerng’s statements, such as him having said in a previous affidavit – eventually not submitted to the court – that he had not republished the defamatory statement despite having sent the links to the offending content via email.

He also took issue with a blog post Ngerng had published on 30 June, in which Ngerng wrote,

“It is wrong that our children are unfairly persecuted just for criticising a man whom the government is trying to protect.”

This, Singh contended, was yet another sign that Ngerng was not truly contrite, as he was once again trying to suggest that he had been persecuted unjustly.

However, Ngerng pointed out that the sentence in the blog post had been written in the context of urging people to continue to advocate for 16-year-old Amos Yee, and did not actually refer to his own case.

Both parties will have until 31 August for their written submissions, after which Justice Lee will decide if oral submissions will be necessary before coming to a decision.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment
Subscribe
Notify of
0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

Current Affairs

Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

Published

23 hours ago

on

4 October 2024

By

SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

Continue Reading

Current Affairs

Chee Soon Juan questions Shanmugam’s $88 million property sale amid silence from Mainstream Media

Dr Chee Soon Juan of the SDP raised concerns about the S$88 million sale of Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow at Astrid Hill, questioning transparency and the lack of mainstream media coverage. He called for clarity on the buyer, valuation, and potential conflicts of interest.

Published

2 weeks ago

on

23 September 2024

By

On Sunday (22 Sep), Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), issued a public statement on Facebook, expressing concerns regarding the sale of Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow (GCB) at Astrid Hill.

Dr Chee questioned the transparency of the S$88 million transaction and the absence of mainstream media coverage despite widespread discussion online.

According to multiple reports cited by Dr Chee, Mr Shanmugam’s property was transferred in August 2023 to UBS Trustees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, which holds the property in trust under the Jasmine Villa Settlement.

Dr Chee’s statement focused on two primary concerns: the lack of response from Mr Shanmugam regarding the transaction and the silence of major media outlets, including Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

He argued that, given the ongoing public discourse and the relevance of property prices in Singapore, the sale of a high-value asset by a public official warranted further scrutiny.

In his Facebook post, Dr Chee posed several questions directed at Mr Shanmugam and the government:

  1. Who purchased the property, and is the buyer a Singaporean citizen?
  2. Who owns Jasmine Villa Settlement?
  3. Were former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong informed of the transaction, and what were their responses?
  4. How was it ensured that the funds were not linked to money laundering?
  5. How was the property’s valuation determined, and by whom?

The Astrid Hill property, originally purchased by Mr Shanmugam in 2003 for S$7.95 million, saw a significant increase in value, aligning with the high-end status of District 10, where it is located. The 3,170.7 square-meter property was sold for S$88 million in August 2023.

Dr Chee highlighted that, despite Mr Shanmugam’s detailed responses regarding the Ridout Road property, no such transparency had been offered in relation to the Astrid Hill sale.

He argued that the lack of mainstream media coverage was particularly concerning, as public interest in the sale is high. Dr Chee emphasized that property prices and housing affordability are critical issues in Singapore, and transparency from public officials is essential to maintain trust.

Dr Chee emphasized that the Ministerial Code of Conduct unambiguously states: “A Minister must scrupulously avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest between his office and his private financial interests.”

He concluded his statement by reiterating the need for Mr Shanmugam to address the questions raised, as the matter involves not only the Minister himself but also the integrity of the government and its responsibility to the public.

The supposed sale of Mr Shamugam’s Astrid Hill property took place just a month after Mr Shanmugam spoke in Parliament over his rental of a state-owned bungalow at Ridout Road via a ministerial statement addressing potential conflicts of interest.

At that time, Mr Shanmugam explained that his decision to sell his home was due to concerns about over-investment in a single asset, noting that his financial planning prompted him to sell the property and move into rental accommodation.

The Ridout Road saga last year centred on concerns about Mr Shanmugam’s rental of a sprawling black-and-white colonial bungalow, occupying a massive plot of land, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which he oversees in his capacity as Minister for Law. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, also rented a similarly expansive property nearby.

Mr Shanmugam is said to have recused himself from the decision-making process, and a subsequent investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) found no wrongdoing while Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean confirmed in Parliament that Mr Shanmugam had removed himself from any decisions involving the property.

As of now, Mr Shanmugam has not commented publicly on the sale of his Astrid Hill property.

Continue Reading

Trending