Dear Prime Minister Press Secretary, You are reported to have issued a statement today stating inter alia that Mr Ngerng’s lawyer indicated at the hearing that Mr Ngerng did not want to be cross-examined. The judge directed his lawyer to confirm this by 30 January 2015. PM Lee stands ready to be cross-examined, a position he has maintained right from the beginning. This is an inaccurate statement, and as I am the lawyer referred to and was present and you were not present it appears you have been misinformed. On the issue of Mr. Ngerngs (my clients) giving evidence my recollection is that I said, when asked, I would take instructions. This is common and normal practice when a question as to a clients current intention is asked by the Court. It means that a lawyer will always first verify whether his client will or will not be taking certain action. It carries no assertion either way. If my instructions had been that my client did not wish to give evidence and I had indeed conveyed that fact to the Court, it would have been illogical for the learned Judge to have asked me to confirm this by 30 January 2015. This highlights the absurdity of your statement. In any event being cross examined is not a matter of choice. The issue is whether the client choses to give evidence. If he does, he will be liable to cross examination . If he does not, he will not. Your statement that Mr Ngerng did not want to be cross-examined is therefore silly. ***** Incidentally, as this is purportedly a private law suit brought by the Prime Minister in his personal capacity, can you explain why you as a Civil Servant holding the official title of Press Secretary to the Prime Minister would be issuing press releases on behalf of a private litigant? I ask this in all earnestness in order to understand whether you intend me to understand that the real Plaintiff is the Prime Minister in his capacity as Prime Minister.
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 04:30:19 +0000
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