Faisal Manap will not be charged for refusing to answer questions by the Committee of Privileges: SPF, AGC

19 Mar 2024

Mothership

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Faisal Manap will not be charged for refusing to answer questions by the
Committee of Privileges SPF AGC

He was issued an advisory on Mar. 18, 2024.

Vice Chair of the Workers' Party (WP) Faisal Manap will not be charged for refusing to answer the questions put to him by the Committee of Privileges (COP) during the hearings regarding the lie made by former WP member Raeesah Khan in Parliament.

According to a joint statement by the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Attorney-General 's Chambers (AGC), the Prosecution considered the totality of the evidence and decided not to prefer any charges against Faisal.

However, the police, in consultation with the Prosecution, issued him an advisory on Mar. 18, 2024.

Faisal was advised to "familiarise himself with the conduct expected of Members of Parliament under the [Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act] and to refrain from any act that may be in breach of it."

He has acknowledged the advisory, said SPF and AGC.

Secretary-General of WP and Leader of the Opposition, Pritam Singh, was charged on Mar. 19, 2024, with lying to the COP.

He faces two charges under the Parliament (Privileges, Immunities and Powers) Act for wilfully making false answers to material questions put to him during examination by the COP.

Referred to Public Prosecutor

On Feb. 10, 2022, the COP presented its report to Parliament regarding the lie made by former WP Member of Parliament (MP) Raeesah Khan.

It was suggested that Singh and Faisal be referred to the public prosecutor.

The report noted that he said he met both Singh and WP leader Sylvia Lim on Dec. 7 and 8, two days prior to him giving evidence for the Committee, for two to three hours.

It highlighted that when asked about the meetings and the materials that Singh and Lim brought along to the meetings, Faisal informed the Committee four times that he would not answer the question.

The COP told Faisal that a refusal to answer their questions would amount to an offence and constitute contempt of Parliament.

Singh faces two charges

Singh is accused of falsely testifying that as at the conclusion of a meeting with Raeesah, WP Chair Sylvia Lim and WP Vice Chair Muhamad Faisal bin Abdul Manap on Aug. 8, 2021, he wanted Raeesah to, at some point, clarify in parliament that what she told MPs on Aug. 3, 2021, about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station was untrue.

Singh allegedly falsely testified on Dec. 10, 2021, and Dec. 15, 2021, that when he spoke to Raeesah on Oct. 3, 2021, he wanted her to admit to having lied to parliament on Aug. 3, 2021, about having accompanied a rape victim to a police station, if this issue were to come up in parliament on Oct. 4, 2021.

The offences are punishable with a fine of up to S$7,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both, said SPF and AGC on Mar. 19.