SINGAPORE: The hearing to determine the amount of damages and costs to be paid by Mr Lee Hsien Yang to Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Foreign Affairs Minister Vivian Balakrishnan for defamation commenced in the High Court on Thursday (May 2), with both claimants leaving the amount to the court.
Both ministers were present in court and represented by lawyer Davinder Singh, while Mr Lee was absent and unrepresented.
Mr Singh told the court that his team had reached out to Mr Lee several times, providing the date, time and venue of hearings.
Mr Lee, the brother of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, left the country with his wife, Mrs Lee Suet Fern, in 2022 over a matter not related to his current defamation suit.
Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan had sued Mr Lee for defamation over remarks he made about their rental of state bungalows at Ridout Road on Jul 23, 2023.
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee wrote that "two ministers have leased state-owned mansions from the agency that one of them controls, felling trees and getting state-sponsored renovations".
According to Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Lee's post accused them of acting corruptly and for personal gain by having the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give them preferential treatment and paying for renovations to 26 and 31 Ridout Road.
The remarks came after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) released a month prior, stating that there had been no wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to the two ministers.
Both Cabinet ministers had sent lawyers' letters to Mr Lee last July, saying they would sue unless he apologised, withdrew his allegations and paid damages to be donated to charity.
After Mr Lee did not comply, the Cabinet ministers served papers to him via Facebook Messenger.
Justice Goh Yihan ruled in favour of the two ministers in November last year, ordering that Mr Lee pay both ministers costs.
Justice Goh also granted injunctions against Mr Lee, restraining him from making defamatory allegations against the two ministers.
Thursday's hearing lasted less than half an hour, with both ministers taking the stand for a few minutes. Mr Singh asked them to confirm details in affidavits evidence-in-chief and they did.
Justice Goh reserved judgement and will give his decision on damages and costs at a later date.
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Both ministers were present in court and represented by lawyer Davinder Singh, while Mr Lee was absent and unrepresented.
Mr Singh told the court that his team had reached out to Mr Lee several times, providing the date, time and venue of hearings.
Mr Lee, the brother of Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, left the country with his wife, Mrs Lee Suet Fern, in 2022 over a matter not related to his current defamation suit.
Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan had sued Mr Lee for defamation over remarks he made about their rental of state bungalows at Ridout Road on Jul 23, 2023.
In a Facebook post, Mr Lee wrote that "two ministers have leased state-owned mansions from the agency that one of them controls, felling trees and getting state-sponsored renovations".
According to Mr Shanmugam and Dr Balakrishnan, Mr Lee's post accused them of acting corruptly and for personal gain by having the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) give them preferential treatment and paying for renovations to 26 and 31 Ridout Road.
The remarks came after the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) released a month prior, stating that there had been no wrongdoing or preferential treatment given to the two ministers.
Both Cabinet ministers had sent lawyers' letters to Mr Lee last July, saying they would sue unless he apologised, withdrew his allegations and paid damages to be donated to charity.
After Mr Lee did not comply, the Cabinet ministers served papers to him via Facebook Messenger.
Justice Goh Yihan ruled in favour of the two ministers in November last year, ordering that Mr Lee pay both ministers costs.
Justice Goh also granted injunctions against Mr Lee, restraining him from making defamatory allegations against the two ministers.
Thursday's hearing lasted less than half an hour, with both ministers taking the stand for a few minutes. Mr Singh asked them to confirm details in affidavits evidence-in-chief and they did.
Justice Goh reserved judgement and will give his decision on damages and costs at a later date.
Continue reading...