The rapid exchange between prosecution and Pritam Singh as cross-examination wraps up

SINGAPORE: After three days of questioning, the prosecution on Friday (Nov 8) completed its cross-examination of Workers' Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh.

The Leader of the Opposition is contesting two charges of lying to a parliamentary committee that was set up to look into the conduct of former Member of Parliament Raeesah Khan.

Ms Khan told parliament on Aug 3, 2021, that she had gone to a police station with a rape victim when it did not happen.

She then doubled down on the lie in parliament on Oct 4, 2021.

Right before the court took its lunch break on Friday, the prosecution wrapped up its cross-examination of Singh by taking him through a series of fast-paced questions and statements summarising its arguments. 

Singh mostly responded with "agree" or "disagree".

Here is the exchange in full: 

Deputy Attorney-General Ang Cheng Hock: Your evidence in the COP is that, I'm summarising, at the ... Aug 8 (2021) meeting, you wanted Ms Khan to clarify the untruth in parliament.

Pritam Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: The prosecution's case is that this was a lie. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You did not tell Ms Khan on Aug 8 to speak to her parents.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You did not tell Ms Khan on Aug 8 that she would have to deal with the issue of the untruth, do you agree or disagree?

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: If you don’t catch what I say, ask me to repeat. This one, I think is consistent, but if you don’t catch what I say ...

Singh: Sure.

Mr Ang: At the end of this meeting on Aug 8, you did not think that Ms Khan needed to speak with her parents or settle herself and thereafter clarify the untruth in parliament.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You thought that the untruth would not be brought up again by the government.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You thought that the matter had been resolved after (Leader of the House Indranee Rajah's) speech on Aug 3.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: In fact, at this meeting (WP chair Sylvia Lim) said that the issue probably would not be raised again.

Singh: Disagree, I do not recall this.

Mr Ang: You said at this meeting, the untruth is something that you will all have to take to the grave.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And by this, you meant that the truth could be buried.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And as far as you're concerned, there was no need to discuss this untruth any further.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You were content for Ms Khan to leave the untruth unclarified in parliament. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: Two days later, Aug 10, 2021, you met (former WP cadres Ms Loh Pei Ying and Mr Yudhishthra Nathan), agree?

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You knew that two of them were close to Ms Khan.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You knew that the two of them knew about the untruth ... and the fact that Ms Khan had been sexually assaulted. 

Singh: Agree ... I knew that they knew that she was sexually assaulted, yes. And they knew of her lie.

Mr Ang: At this meeting you indicated to Ms Loh that you did not think that the untruth would be brought up again.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You did not tell Ms Loh and Mr Nathan that the untruth will have to be clarified in parliament.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You did not tell Ms Loh and Mr Nathan that you had asked Ms Khan to speak to her parents.

(Singh asks for the question to be repeated, and Mr Ang does so.)

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You did not ask Ms Loh and Mr Nathan to follow up with Ms Khan to check if she had spoken to her parents.

Singh: Agree, I did not.

Mr Ang: You did not do any of these things because your intention was to leave the untruth unclarified in parliament. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: Now from Aug 10 to Oct 2, you did not give any instructions or directions to Ms Khan or to Ms Loh or Mr Nathan regarding the untruth.

Singh: Agree. I beg your pardon - the caveat being that on Oct 1, there was the email that was sent.

Mr Ang: You did not have any discussion with Ms Lim or Mr Faisal during this period of time about the untruth.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And during this period of time, all the way till Oct 2, you did not check with Ms Khan whether she had spoken to her parents and was ready to tell the truth.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You did not do any of these things because your intention was to leave the untruth unclarified. Agree or disagree?

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The real intention of your Oct 1 email was to warn Ms Khan that if the government found out that she had lied, she would have to face the COP. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The Oct 1 email was not a prompt for Ms Khan to correct her lie.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: As of Oct 3, before you met Ms Khan, she had not come back to you to tell you that her parents had been informed and that she was ready to admit the truth, agree or disagree? 

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And as of the meeting on Oct 3 with Ms Khan, no draft clarification had been prepared for Ms Khan to clarify the truth on Oct 4.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: Your evidence at the COP was that at the Oct 3 meeting, you wanted to convey to Ms Khan that she had to clarify that the anecdote was untrue if the issue came up in parliament on Oct 4.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: That evidence is a lie. 

Singh: Disagree. 

Mr Ang: It was not your intention at this meeting on Oct 3 to tell Ms Khan to tell the truth if the issue came up the next day.

(Singh asks for the question to be repeated and Mr Ang does so.)

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You did not tell Ms Khan to take ownership and responsibility if the issue came up the next day.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You told Ms Khan that if the issue came up, you would not judge her if she were to continue with the narrative. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And to that, she looked visibly relieved, agree? 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You intentionally guided Ms Khan that she could continue with the untruth if the issue came up the next day. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You knew that it was impossible for her to clarify the untruth the next day because there were no preparations whatsoever for her to do so. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You knew the only real choice Ms Khan had if the issue came up was to continue the untruth.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: Your evidence to the COP that she should clarify the untruth whether the issue came up or did not come up on Oct 4 - that was an outright lie.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The next day on Oct 5, there was a parliament sitting where Ms Khan could have clarified the untruth.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: But on Oct 4, after she had repeated the lie, you did not ask her to clarify the untruth in parliament the next day. Agree? 

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: On the Oct 4 meeting at 11.15pm or so with Ms Khan and Ms Lim, there was still no plan on your part for Ms Khan to clarify the untruth in parliament.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And this was consistent with the guidance you gave Ms Khan. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The truth of the matter is that nothing was done or agreed at the Oct 4 meeting at the (Leader of the Opposition's) office ... because you did not want to clarify the untruth.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: Ms Khan had suggested to you that there was another path, which was to tell the truth.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: But you replied it was too late for that.

Singh: Disagree, I believe I said look at the choice you've made.

Mr Ang: At the Oct 4, 11.15pm meeting, neither Ms Lim nor you asked Ms Khan why she lied again.

Singh: Disagree, we asked her to explain herself.

Mr Ang: Neither you or Ms Lim told her, you've got to clarify the untruth now.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: Neither of you told Ms Khan to clarify the untruth the next day on Oct 5.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And this was because there was no intention for her, at that time ... to clarify that too.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You were under the belief that you had a duty to correct the untruth of a WP MP if you knew that there was an untruth.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: In breach of this duty, you did not yourself clarify the untruth on Oct 4 and 5.  

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: On Oct 7, Ms Khan received a request from the police. 

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: Police wanted to interview her.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And you were concerned that if Ms Khan went for the interview with the police, she might reveal the truth and of your knowledge (of the lie) since Aug 8 ...

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And you did not ask Ms Khan to reply to the police to say that she’ll be going for an interview.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: From (Oct 7-12), there was no reply by Ms Khan to that interview request.

Singh: To my knowledge, yes …

Mr Ang: You didn't ask her to reply to that request from Oct 7-12.

Singh: Not at that time period, yes, agree.

Mr Ang: On Oct 11, you and Ms Lim met (former WP chief Low Thia Khiang).

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: At the Oct 11 meeting, you and Ms Lim told Mr Low that Ms Khan had lied in parliament.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You and Ms Lim told Mr Low of a plan for Ms Khan to apologise at a press conference and thereafter, for her to be expelled from the party.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: Mr Low's advice was that Ms Khan should instead apologise and clarify the untruth in parliament because that was the correct forum.

Singh: Disagree, because of your use of the word "instead".

Mr Ang: At this meeting, neither you nor Ms Lim told Mr Low that you knew the untruth as early as August.

Singh: Disagree, I am not sure of the exact details, whether this was shared or not.

Mr Ang: At this meeting, neither you or Ms Lim told Mr low that there was already a plan for Ms Khan to clarify the untruth in parliament.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: It was the request from the police for an interview on Oct 7, and Mr Low's advice to you and Ms Lim on Oct 11, that set you on the path of ensuring that the untruth would be clarified in parliament. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: So the next day on Oct 12, you met with Ms Khan and Ms Lim, correct?

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And at this meeting, you told Ms Khan for the first time that she must make a personal statement in parliament to clarify the untruth. Agree? 

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And she agreed to do so at the very next sitting on Nov 1. 

Singh: Not immediately, but that was the next sitting.

Mr Ang: At the conclusion of the meeting, she agreed to give a personal statement to clarify the untruth at the next parliament sitting. 

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: And the next was Nov 1.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: Neither you nor Ms Lim asked Ms Khan whether she had told her parents abt the sexual assault.

Singh: I don't recall asking her, yes.  

Mr Ang: In fact at this Oct 12 meeting with Ms Khan, you still did not know whether Ms Khan had told her parents about the sexual assault.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: In the evening of Oct 12, you met with Ms Loh and Mr Nathan at your home.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: At this meeting, there was discussion as to whether or not Ms Khan's sexual assault experience would be included in her personal statement.

Singh: I don’t recall this ... Yes, I believe there was a discussion, yes.

Mr Ang: The question was whether or not she had to reveal her sexual assault and give that as a reason for having lied, agree?

Singh: Yes agree, but this was Ms Khan’s decision to make.

Mr Ang: And it was Ms Loh who had to tell you that Ms Khan should inform her parents first before making a personal statement right?

Singh: Disagree, I don’t recall this.

Mr Ang: At this meeting, you recounted to Ms Loh and Mr Nathan about your discussion in person with Ms Khan on Oct 3.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: You recounted to Ms Loh and Mr Nathan that you had told Ms Khan that you would not judge her if she decided to continue with the untruth if the issue came up on Oct 4.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: You explained to Ms Loh and Mr Nathan that however, it was now time for Ms Khan to come clean because it seemed that the government may already know that Ms Khan had lied.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And that the matter would not be dropped.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And at the meeting the day before, on Oct 11, you and Ms Lim had told Mr Low that there was a plan to expel Ms Khan from the party.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: So at this meeting on Oct 12 with Ms Loh and Mr Nathan, you lied to Mr Yudhish and Ms Loh when you said that you would not judge Ms Khan.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: Because you already planned to expel her from the party.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: After Oct 12, all the way to the (Central Executive Committee) meeting on Oct 29, you gave clear, explicit and frequent directions in relation to her personal statement to clarify the untruth.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: This is in contrast to the complete lack of direction and preparations before Oct 12.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: This shows that up to Oct 12, or Oct 11 before the meeting with Mr Low, there was no intention for Ms Khan to clarify the untruth in parliament.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The (disciplinary panel or DP) was formed on Nov 2.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: It was tasked by (its) terms of reference to look into Ms Khan's lies in parliament on Aug 3 and Oct 4.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: However, the DP proceedings focused more on Ms Khan's general performance as an MP as opposed to Ms Khan's conduct in relation to the untruth.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The DP disregarded the guidance (that) WP leaders had given to Ms Khan since Aug 8. 

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The DP did not consider the discussion that you had with Ms Khan on Oct 3.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The DP did not inform the WP CEC about the fact that you, Ms Lim and Mr Faisal knew from Aug 8 that the anecdote was untrue.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: The DP did not inform the CEC about your discussion with Ms Khan on Oct 3 on the eve of her repeating the lie.

Singh: Agree.

Mr Ang: The DP’s conduct was self-serving and calculated ... (to create) distance (between) WP leaders ... (and) Ms Khan's conduct.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The DP acted this way because (the three of you) knew that you had failed to guide Ms Khan properly following the Aug 8 meeting.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: And you did not want yours, Mr Faisal's and Ms Lim's conduct to be scrutinised by the party.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The DP did not act fairly and impartially in respect of the proceedings against Ms Khan.

Singh: Disagree.

Mr Ang: The DP withheld important facts from the CEC.

Singh: Disagree.