Dr Chee Soon Juan and Ms Chee Siok Chin have been cited for contempt of court by High Court Judge Belinda Ang over a defamation suit hearing that took place last week.
Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and his father Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew sued the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) over an article published in its newsletter criticising the government for lack of transparency and accountability. The courts awarded the case to the plaintiffs in a summary judgment.
At the hearing last week to determine the amount of damages to be awarded to the Lees, the judge cited Dr Chee and Ms Chee (above photo in clue) for impugning the integrity of the judiciary and obstructing the administering of justice.The defendants had said that there was unfair treatment of the Lees in court. They will probably receive jail sentences as well as fines. They will apear before the judge tomorrow, 2 June 2008, for sentencing.
In the meantime, the Lees have asked for "unprecedented damages" to awarded to them. Lawyers have estimated the amount to be in the range of US$500,000 to US$800,000. Dr Chee and Ms Chee have already been made bankrupt from previous legal actions by the government. Dr Chee has been barred from travelling as a result of his bankruptcy.
He was convicted and jailed for attempting to leave the country in 2004 to attend the World Movement for Democracy conference in Turkey. The SDP is in danger of being wound up and de-registered if it doesn't pay up the damages. This will be the first time in history that an opposition party is crushed by the ruling party in a defamation suit.
Fifth conviction for speaking without a permitIn a separate court ruling on Friday, 30 May 2008, Dr Chee was found guilty of speaking in public yet again. This is the fifth such conviction. The case arose when Dr Chee was selling his party newsletter during the elections period in 2006. The SDP secretary-general was fined. As a bankrupt, he is unable to pay the fine and will be jailed for five weeks in default. Dr Chee has already been imprisoned on six other occasions for various charges.
Former Singaporean, now US citizen arrestedIn a related incident Mr Gopalan Nair, also a former opposition candidate, has been arrested for challenging the judicial system in Singapore.Mr Nair, a lawyer, left Singapore in the early 1990s after he feared persecution by the Singapore government. He is now a US citizen residing in California. Mr Nair returned to Singapore last week to observe the SDP's defamation trial.
He had posted on his blog (http://singaporedissident.blogspot.com/) articles which criticised Mr Lee Kuan Yew for using the legal system to achieve his (Mr Lee's) political ends. The postings were in response to Mr Lee's statement in court last Tuesday that he would take action against any blogger for making defamatory remarks if they could be identified.Mr Nair has been held without bail and will be charged in court on 2 June 2008 morning.
For more information about these matters, please go to http://www.yoursdp.org/ or contact the party at speakup@yoursdp.org.
