London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Feb 05, 2025

Singapore PM's Brother, His Wife On the Run For Lying Under Oath: Report

Singapore PM's Brother, His Wife On the Run For Lying Under Oath: Report

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam told Parliament that police named the duo and released information about the case in the public interest.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's younger brother and his wife are on the run after they came under investigation for lying during judicial proceedings related to the will of their late father, Lee Kuan Yew, the founding and first leader of the city-state, Parliament was told on Monday.

Lee Hsien Yang and his lawyer wife, Lee Suet Fern, were found to have lied under oath in 2020 by the Court of Three Judges and a disciplinary tribunal police investigation over the latter's handling of the last will of founding Prime Minister Lee, who died on March 23, 2015, at the age of 91.

Home Affairs and Law Minister K. Shanmugam told Parliament that police named the duo and released information about the case in the public interest.

The disclosure did not cause any material prejudice to the couple as their conduct was already a matter of public record, given that a disciplinary tribunal and a court found that the duo had lied.

Responding to questions, Mr Shanmugam said that while the general principle is that law enforcement agencies do not disclose the names of people under probe, in a wide variety of situations, it may be necessary to do so.

Police typically disclosed names in situations where those being investigated have evaded authorities, the minister said. He added that in case public interest is involved in the investigation or if the people and facts of the offences under probe are already publicly known, police make investigations public.

The circumstances relating to Lee and his lawyer wife straddle these two examples, Mr Shanmugam said, adding that the couple absconded after the police contacted them to assist in investigations.

The findings of the tribunal and the court - that the couple was not telling the truth and were dishonest - are also already matters of public record, and thus, disclosing the police investigation in Parliament will not "materially add to any cloud the couple may already be under", the Straits Times newspaper quoted Mr Shanmugam as saying.

The couple left Singapore after refusing to go for a police interview that they had initially agreed to attend, Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean told Parliament earlier this month.

Police later said they left Singapore after being engaged in June 2022 and have not returned since.

Fern, 64, had been referred to a disciplinary tribunal by the Law Society over her role in the preparation and execution of the last will of the city-state's founding Prime Minister, which differed from his sixth and penultimate will in significant ways. It did not contain some changes Lee had wanted and discussed with his lawyer, Kwa Kim Li, a few days earlier.

Among the differences was a demolition clause - relating to the demolition of Lee's 38 Oxley Road house after his death - which had not been in the sixth or penultimate will but was in the last.

This clause became a sticking point among the late Lee's children.

Fern's role in the will had sparked a complaint by the Attorney-General's Chambers to the Law Society about possible professional misconduct on her part.

After the disciplinary tribunal found her guilty of grossly improper professional conduct, it referred the case to the Court of Three Judges, the highest disciplinary body to deal with lawyers' misconduct.

Fern was suspended by the Court of Three Judges from practising as a lawyer for 15 months, according to The Straits Times newspaper.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Spain Endorses Initiative to Cut Working Week to 37.5 Hours
Australia Prohibits DeepSeek AI on Government Devices Due to Security Issues
Trump Warns of Tariffs on EU Products, Labels Bloc an 'Atrocity' in Trade Matters
Zelenskyy Proposes Nuclear Arsenal if NATO Membership Lingers.
Zelenskyy Urges for 'Robust Security Assurances' from Russia to Conclude the Conflict in Ukraine
European Union Proposes Reforms to 1951 Refugee Convention
China's humanoid robots poised to transform everyday living and spiritual functions.
Changes in US tariffs on Chinese products could affect consumers more significantly than they do China.
How Innovations in China's Humanoid Robots Ignite Fierce Competition with the US
Germany Experiences 34% Decrease in Asylum Applications During Migration Discussion
Experts Challenge Conviction of UK Nurse Lucy Letby for Baby Killings
AfD Chief Alice Weidel Enhances Global Standing Through Meeting with Viktor Orban
Nigel Farage's Reform UK Party Leads Poll Amid Growing Public Demand for Change
Conor Murphy Steps Down as Northern Ireland Economy Minister to Join Irish Parliament
Over 1 Million Face Penalties After Missing HMRC Self-Assessment Tax Deadline
Scottish Government Denies Plans to Ban Cat Ownership Amid Controversy
Bridget Phillipson Urges Parents to Prioritize School Attendance Amid Rising Absence Rates
Keir Starmer Advocates for Stronger UK-EU Security Partnership in Brussels
Six English Councils Granted Permission to Raise Council Tax Bills Above Cap Amid Financial Struggles
Keir Starmer Faces Growing Backlash Over Potential Approval of Rosebank Oilfield
AI Consciousness Raises Ethical Concerns, Say Experts
Families Urge NHS England to Release Full Report on Nottingham Triple Homicide
NHS Initiates Largest AI Trial for Breast Cancer Detection
UK Tightens Regulations on Online Sales of Weight-Loss Injections
Gambling Ads Shown to Parents on Baby Monitor App, Raising Concerns
Ancient Irish Rainforests at Risk Due to the Growth of Monoculture Plantations
EU Leaders Deliberate on Defense Strategy Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
EU Leaders Convene Important Summit on Defense in Response to Rising Tensions
Trump Directs Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund, Considers TikTok Purchase
Britain Considers U.S. Gas Imports in Response to Possible Trump Tariffs
French Prime Minister Bayrou Confronts Several No-Confidence Votes Regarding the 2025 Budget
Shutdown of USAID Headquarters in Light of U.S. Government Reduction Initiatives
President Trump Launches Establishment of U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund with Possible TikTok Purchase
Investigation Launched Following Viral Video of Bodybuilder's Airport Prank
Cooling Blankets: A Remedy for Those Who Sleep Hot or Just a Marketing Ploy?
Trump Wins Again as Canada Agrees to Strengthen Border Security
Trump Seeks Rare Minerals from Ukraine in Exchange for U.S. Support
EU Leaders Reach Consensus to Increase Defence Expenditure in Response to Growing Security Threats
UK Business Confidence Declines Amid Economic Uncertainty, Lloyds Survey Shows
Abhishek Sharma's Century Secures India a 4-1 T20 Series Win Over England
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will welcome German Chancellor Olaf Scholz for talks at Chequers.
Australian soccer sensation Sam Kerr confronts a racial abuse trial in London.
Lloyds and Barclays Bank Customers Experience Service Outages
Thames Water Seeks Court Approval for £3 Billion Rescue Plan Amid Crisis
UK Manufacturing Activity Contracts for Fourth Consecutive Month in January, PMI Shows
Ex-British Soldier Receives Sentence for Espionage on Behalf of Iran and Fleeing Custody
Emergency Crews Deployed on Santorini as Earthquake Swarm Raises Concerns
Wall Street Journal Criticizes Trump's Trade War with Canada and Mexico
Trump Freezes Tariffs on Mexico After Agreement on Border Security
Nearly 96% of New Cars Registered in Norway in January Were Electric
×