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SINGAPORE – Attorney Ravi Madasamy, better known as M. Ravi, was indicted in district court on Wednesday (December 16) with criminal defamation.
The 51-year-old Singaporean is charged with defaming the Minister of Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam, in a unit at the People’s Park Center at around 8.45am on November 6.
Ravi allegedly posted on Facebook words “containing an indictment” about Mr. Shanmugam, namely that the minister had claimed that he influences and controls Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon.
According to court documents, Ravi is said to have intended the position to damage Shanmugam’s reputation.
In an earlier statement on November 7, police said investigations had been carried out in connection with a Facebook post that Ravi is accused of posting the day before.
He claimed in the mail that he was told by Singapore attorney Eugene Thuraisingam that Mr. Shanmugam had said that he “exercises influence over the Chief Justice” and “commands and controls (sic) Sundaresh Menon.”
On November 6, Thuraisingam wrote a letter to Mr. Shanmugam, saying that “there is absolutely no truth” to Ravi’s accusations.
Thuraisingam also posted a copy of the letter online on his Facebook page, referring to Ravi’s Facebook post as “false and completely false.”
Police added that according to Thuraisingam, Ravi made similar allegations in a Facebook post published on June 12, 2017.
Thuraisingam clarified with Shanmugam on June 13, 2017 that Ravi’s allegations were false.
Then no police action was taken.
A pretrial conference on the latest case is scheduled for January 6 of next year.
Offenders convicted of criminal defamation can be jailed for up to two years and fined.
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