SINGAPORE, Oct 16 — Singapore Workers’ Party (WP) chief Pritam Singh’s defence team, led by lawyer Andre Jumabhoy, began cross-examining yesterday former Workers’ Party (WP) member Raeesah Khan in a case involving allegations of dishonesty.

According to CNA, Jumabhoy’s sharp questioning focused on Khan’s false statements in Parliament, accusing her of lying repeatedly, both to Singh, who is also Singapore Leader of the Opposition, and in public.

The cross-examination on the second day of Singh’s trial centred on an anecdote Khan had shared in parliament on August 3, 2021, in which she falsely claimed to have accompanied a rape victim to a police station.

Jumabhoy highlighted inconsistencies in her account and pushed her on whether she had knowingly lied.

At one point, CNA reported that he asked directly: “You are in fact a liar, right?” to which Khan admitted, “Yes, I’ve lied.”

Jumabhoy pressed further, asking if she had been “telling lies non-stop” regarding the Committee of Privileges (COP) inquiry and her anecdote, but Khan denied this.

He clarified that he was referring only to her statements connected to the COP and the events surrounding her anecdote.

The defence’s questioning culminated in an application to impeach Khan’s credibility as a witness.

As the hearing approached its final hour, Khan was asked to leave the courtroom while the application was considered.

However, no decision was reached before the session adjourned.

Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan allowed the defence to continue cross-examining Khan when the hearing resumes, focusing on possible discrepancies in her testimony.

Khan had previously admitted to lying in Parliament twice in 2021 about accompanying the rape victim.

Her false account led to a series of events that eventually prompted her to confess in parliament, triggering the COP inquiry.

Singh, who is the Member of Parliament for Eunos Division, Aljunied GRC, is facing accusations of lying during the COP hearings in December 2021.

The charges relate to two specific instances: During an August 8, 2021, meeting with Khan and other WP leaders, Singh allegedly instructed her to clarify the false statement in parliament at a later date.

He is also accused of telling Khan on October 3, 2021, that if the issue resurfaced in Parliament, she had to admit the story was untrue.