Ex-WP member charged with insulting judge

June 3, 2008
Ex-WP member charged with insulting judge
US citizen accused of sending e-mail containing insults to A-G and others
By Kor Kian Beng
ACCUSED OF INSULTING PUBLIC SERVANT: Gopalan Pallichadath Nair, 58, a US citizen since 2005, faces a fine of up to $5,000 or up to one year in jail if convicted. -- PHOTO: SINGAPOREDISSIDENT.BLOGSPOT.COM A FORMER Workers' Party (WP) member who is now an American citizen has been charged in court with insulting a public servant. Gopalan Pallichadath Nair, 58, was charged with using insulting words towards High Court judge Belinda Ang in an e-mail that he was believed to have sent last week to, among other people, the Attorney-General and the Solicitor-General. In it, he accused Justice Ang of 'prostituting herself' as a judge during a three-day hearing last week to assess damages in a defamation suit that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew won against the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), its secretary-general Chee Soon Juan and his sister Chee Siok Chin. Nair, who gave up his Singapore citizenship in 2005, returned to Singapore on May 25 to attend the SDP court hearing. Last Thursday, a day after the hearing ended, he made the same insulting remarks against Justice Ang in a posting on his blog. In another posting last Saturday that stated his contact details and the hotel he was staying at, Nair challenged MM Lee: 'I am now within your jurisdiction...What are you going to do about it?' Twice found guilty - of contempt, misconduct Gopalan Pallichadath Nair Born May 14, 1950 ... more Yesterday, he was charged under Section 13D (1) (a) of the Miscellaneous Offences (Public Order and Nuisance) Act. This states that it is an offence for any person who, in a public or private place, uses any indecent, threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour towards a public servant in the execution of his duty. If convicted, Nair faces a fine of up to $5,000 or up to one year in jail. District Judge Miranda Yeo granted the prosecution's request to remand him for one week at the Central Police Division to assist in police investigations. Nair also surrendered his passport to the police and will appear in court again next Monday. He is being represented by Mr Chia Ti Lik, one of the founders of advocacy group SG Human Rights. Mr Chia said he was helping him on a pro bono basis. 'He's standing on the same front as us. So when he's in trouble, we can't stand by and do nothing,' he said. Lawyers note that the current charge may be a holding charge for the police to apply for court permission to remand the accused for further investigations. A spokesman for the United States Embassy told The Straits Times that the US consul here, Ms Julie Kavanagh, had visited Nair in detention on Sunday. The spokesman added: 'We're monitoring the case closely and will remain in contact with Mr Nair.' Ms Kavanagh attended the court session yesterday, which also saw around 15 SDP members and supporters turning up. These included Ms Chee, SDP's vice-chairman Francis Yong, assistant secretary-general John Tan, assistant treasurer Jeffrey George, film-maker Seelan Palay, and former WP candidate Jufrie Mahmood. Nair was a WP candidate in Tiong Bahru GRC in the 1988 election and in Bukit Merah in the 1991 polls. In November 1991, he was fined $8,000 by the High Court for remarks questioning the independence of the Subordinate Courts. These remarks were made at an election rally in Bukit Merah. In September 1992, Nair, then practising law in California, was suspended from practice for two years and ordered to pay costs after being found guilty of serious misconduct in deliberately trying to discredit former attorney-general Tan Boon Teik. Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam acted for Nair in that case. The SDP's website said last night that a group of activists will hold a vigil tonight outside the Central Police Station in Cantonment Road. kianbeng@sph.com.sg