Blogger Roy Ngerng has been ordered to pay Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong S$150,000 in damages for defaming him.
In a judgement made public today (Dec 17), Justice Lee Sieu Kin noted that while “substantial” damages were awarded in past cases involving defamation to Prime Ministers, some in excess of S$300,000, this involved a “defendant of modest standing”.
“In the present case, I am of the view that a substantial reduction would be appropriate in the circumstances of the case, primarily in view of the comparatively low standing of the defendant,” said Justice Lee.
Justice Lee felt that the popularity of Mr Ngerng’s blog and his “portrayal of himself as the voice of truth” was no evidence of his perceived credibility or the influence he had over Singaporeans. “The defendant’s standing therefore warranted a lower award of damages in comparison to the other cases involving the defamation of public leaders in Singapore,” he said.
A High Court ruled in November last year that Mr Ngerng had defamed Mr Lee in a May 2014 blog posting alleging misappropriation of money paid by Singaporeans to the Central Provident Fund.
In July this year, Mr Lee’s lawyer, Mr Davinder Singh, made the case for substantial damages to be awarded. The case stands out for the “depth and intensity” of Mr Ngerng’s malice towards Mr Lee and his resolve to damage Mr Lee’s reputation, thus warranting a “very high award of damages”, Mr Singh had said.
Source: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/blogger-roy-ngerng-ordered-pay-s150000-damages-defaming-pm-lee
