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SINGAPORE: A Singaporean opposition politician and lawyer was arrested on Friday on suspicion of embezzlement and harassment, days before a client of his is facing a defamation case against the city-state leader.
Lim Tean was handcuffed and escorted out of his office as he prepared his client’s case against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, and Lim’s lawyer called the arrest “politically motivated.”
But the police quickly rejected the accusations as “unfounded”.
Lim, who runs a political party called Peoples Voice, is accused of embezzling money awarded by a court to a client and harassing a former employee of his law firm.
Police said Lim, who unsuccessfully ran as a candidate in the July general election, had been asked to attend an interview last month to help with the investigations, but he refused to appear.
“The police had no choice but to arrest Mr. Lim Tean to carry out investigations,” they said.
Lim is the lawyer for a blogger who has been sued for defamation by Prime Minister Lee. The case has been scheduled for next week and Lee is expected to take the stand as a witness.
Singapore officials have long been accused of using costly defamation suits to silence opponents and political dissent.
But they have said that the lawsuits are necessary to defend their integrity.
Peoples Voice is one of several small opposition groups that are not seen as a rival to the ruling Popular Action Party (PAP).
The PAP has ruled Singapore uninterruptedly for more than six decades. While the party has been praised for its successful economic management, critics frequently accuse it of restricting civil liberties.
