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SINGAPORE – Attorney Eugene Thuraisingam has rejected allegations that he said the Minister for Home Affairs and Law, K. Shanmugam, told him that the minister “exercises influence over” the Chief Justice of Singapore.
In a letter addressed to Mr. Shanmugam and made public in a Facebook post on Friday (November 6), Thuraisingam wrote that there is “absolutely no truth” in the indictment, which also includes claims that Mr. Shanmugam had said He “called the shots and checks” Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon.
The accusation was first made three years ago by attorney M. Ravi in 2017 in a Facebook post, in which Ravi said he had records of the conversation, and resurfaced by Ravi in another Facebook post on Friday.
According to Ravi’s version of events, Thuraisingam had related the offensive comments about drinks at Chijmes in 2017.
He also wrote that Mr. Thuraisingam has repeated similar statements made by Mr. Shanmugam more than once. “I’ve heard this a thousand times when getting drunk,” he wrote.
Ravi told The Straits Times late Friday that he was following through on his statements and was prepared to take the matter to court.
“From my experience with Menon (Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon), he is extremely fair and I have the utmost respect for him. I am not happy that the minister is talking about his influence on the Chief Justice, if what Mr. . Thuraisingam is true, “he said.
“I am not questioning the independence of the judiciary, but rather upset about the potential abuse of power.”
Ravi added that he has found witnesses willing to testify about the veracity of his statements.
Mr. Thuraisingam, a criminal lawyer who founded the law firm Eugene Thurasingam LLP, wrote in his letter to Mr. Shanmugam: “You have never told me anything of that nature.
“Nor have I told Mr. Ravi that you had told me something of that nature.”
He added that, to date, Ravi has not produced the records he claims to have to support his allegations.
He told The Straits Times that Ravi was attacking him and his law firm “without any basis due to his medical condition.”
Ravi was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 2006 and was unable to practice law for four years. He received his practice certificate again last year.
Mr. Ravi said in response that he had taken his medication and met the undisclosed conditions stipulated in the award of his certificate of practice.
“I should not be discriminated against because of my medical condition because it could easily be used against many human rights lawyers accused of mental illness around the world when they criticize the system,” he said.
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