Key points as defence cross-examines ex-WP cadre Nathan

Former Workers' Party (WP) cadre Yudhishthra Nathan was cross-examined on Oct 21, the sixth day of WP chief and Leader of the Opposition Pritam Singh's trial.

- Wong Pei Ting Correspondent and Christine Tan

Singh is fighting two charges over his alleged lies to a parliamentary committee convened in November 2021 to investigate former Sengkang WP MP Raeesah Khan's untruth in Parliament.

Ms Khan had, on Aug 3, 2021, told Parliament about how she had accompanied a sexual assault victim to a police station, where the victim was treated insensitively. She repeated the claim before the House on Oct 4 the same year, before admitting to her lie on Nov 1, 2021.

Mr Nathan, now a PhD student at a local university, was a WP member from 2016 to 2022. He served in the party's media team, policy team, youth wing and grassroots team in Sengkang, and assisted Ms Khan in her duties as an MP.

Here are the key points that came up as Singh's lawyer, Mr Andre Jumabhoy, cross-examined Mr Nathan:

1 NATHAN WANTED KHAN TO 'ACTIVELY MAINTAIN THE LIE'

The court heard that before attending a meeting with Singh and Ms Khan's then secretarial assistant Loh Pei Ying at the WP chief's house on Oct 12, 2021, Mr Nathan was concerned that the party leaders had not come up with a proper plan for Ms Khan to come clean about her lie.

Mr Nathan's position at that time was therefore for her to "actively maintain the lie", he testified.

When Deputy Principal District Judge Luke Tan asked what Mr Nathan envisaged Ms Khan doing in "actively maintaining the lie", Mr Nathan said she “may go and clarify the age, but not come out and say she had lied about going to the police station”.

Mr Jumabhoy was questioning Mr Nathan about a WhatsApp message that he had sent earlier on the day of the meeting suggesting that Ms Khan should not give too many details about her anecdote and just clarify the age of the alleged sexual assault victim.