SINGAPORE-BLOGGER/COURT Singapore PM takes to the stand for hours in blogger defamation case

Record ID: 149157

  • Title: SINGAPORE-BLOGGER/COURT Singapore PM takes to the stand for hours in blogger defamation case
  • Date: 1st July 2015
  • Summary: SINGAPORE (JULY 1, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** VARIOUS OF SINGAPORE SUPREME COURT EXTERIOR MEDIA WAITING IN FRONT OF SUPREME COURT CAR PARK SUPREME COURT PARKING SIGN VARIOUS OF SINGAPORE PRIME MINISTER, LEE HSIEN LOONG, ARRIVING AT SUPREME COURT IN CAR SUPREME COURT ENTRANCE MEDIA WAITING AT ENTRANCE VARIOUS OF SINGAPORE BLOGGER, ROY NGERNG, C
  • Embargoed: 16th July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Singapore
  • Country: Singapore
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA1B6S8HGTEJWHHM01FHS9U85JZ
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PART AUDIO AS INCOMING
    Singapore Prime Minister, Lee Hsien Loong, took the stand on Wednesday (July 1) for more than five hours, answering questions from a blogger he has successfully sued for defamation as the Supreme Court tried to decide how much should be paid in damages.
    Lee sued Roy Ngerng, 34, for a blog in which the defendant was alleged to have implicated Lee in impropriety in connection with how funds in Singapore's mandatory retirement savings scheme are managed.
    The court has already ordered Ngerng to pay S$29,000 ($21,700) to Lee to cover legal costs. Wednesday's hearing, which is expected to last until the end of the week, is to decide damages.
    The government in Southeast Asia's financial hub keeps a tight leash on the media, but has in recent years started facing challenges from social media where issues including immigration, cost of living and gay rights are hotly debated.
    Its leaders have previously sued or settled out of court with several foreign media publications for alleged defamation, but this is the first time a blogger has faced such action.
    Ngerng acted as his own counsel in court.
    "I don't think that it is right for public office holders to not use other resources to their disposal first to answer their queries. As the United Nations have also said the defamation law should not be used by public service office holders, they should abide by the, they should also use other tools available for them," he said to media at the end of the first day's hearing.
    Ngerng said he's not disputing the judgment.
    "I mean I've never intended to defame the prime minister and I hope my sincerity will allow me to prove myself but I understand that the prime minister might feel differently though I still hope he will accept my apology," he added in front of local media outside the country's Supreme Court.
    "I hope that Mr Lee will show compassion and graciousness to his citizen and all I've ever wanted to do was just talk about the CPF (Central Provident Fund) to allow Singaporeans to get our CPF back so that older Singaporeans are able to retire and that is what I'm really concerned about," he said.
    Lee said that Ngerng was not serious about wanting to solve the issue in court.
    His lawyers said Ngerng knowingly and maliciously published a vicious libel and later capitalised on it to promote himself as a champion of free speech.
    In a statement to the court, Lee's lawyers did not specify a figure but asked for "a very high award of damages".
    Ngerng had offered S$5,000 to Lee, which was rejected. Another offer of S$10,000 offer was also turned down. Lee and his lawyers didn't consider the offers sincere.
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