Singapore PM Lee Hsien Loong wins defamation case against blogger
Singapore's High Court ruled yesterday that an activist defamed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong by accusing him in a blog of misappropriating state pension funds.
Singapore's High Court ruled yesterday that an activist defamed Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong by accusing him in a blog of misappropriating state pension funds.
In the first such ruling in the city-state over a purely online article, a judge issued a summary judgment against Roy Ngerng, a 33-year-old former government employee.
Ngerng, who writes a blog called Heart Truths, was seeking trial to defend himself but High Court Judge Lee Seiu Kin ruled there was "no triable defence against the plaintiff's claim".
"There is no doubt that it is defamatory to suggest that the plaintiff is guilty of criminal misappropriation," the judge said in a written ruling.
Damages will be set at a later date generally such civil suits are launched in the High Court when the value of claims is above S$250,000 (HK$1.5 million).
Ngerng has already admitted his May 15 blog accusing the prime minister, who is also chairman of state investment fund GIC, of misusing the Central Provident Fund (CPF) was false and without foundation.
He offered S$5,000 as compensation to Lee, who rejected the amount.
GIC is a sovereign wealth fund that manages more than US$100 billion of the city-state's foreign reserves. The CPF is the state pension scheme that pools Singaporeans' retirement money.
After being sued by Lee, Ngerng, who has also led public protests over the CPF issue, was fired from his government hospital job for administrative reasons which he did not contest.
In June, he successfully raised more than S$112,000 through crowdfunding in order to fight the case, with more than 4,000 people contributing cash. "I am currently deliberating with my lawyer M.Ravi on the next course of action," Ngerng said after the judgment was released.
"I am disappointed as I have never intended to defame the prime minister. I will still continue to speak up on the CPF and other issues that concern Singaporeans," he added.
He is currently facing two criminal charges for staging an illegal march calling for greater transparency in how CPF assets are invested.
Singapore has consistently ranked high in surveys as one of the world's least corrupt countries, but rights groups say its leaders have used financially ruinous defamation suits to silence critics and opponents.
International media firms as well as local opposition figures have previously paid damages and apologised to Singapore leaders including Lee, 62, and his father, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, 91, for articles found to be defamatory.
