Lee Hsien Yang has suggested that the Attorney-General’s Chambers publicly lied about his lawyer wife Lee Suet Fern not responding to calls for her to explain her position in the preparation of Lee Kuan Yew’s last will.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Mr Lee said that the “AGC’s assertion that my wife refused to respond is untrue. AGC should release the full correspondence.”
This was in response to the AGC’s statement that Deputy Attorney-General Lionel Yee had written to Ms Lee “several times” since October 2018 “asking her to explain her position, and her role (if any) in the preparation of the Last Will”.
The AGC added in its statement that “despite asking for extensions of time to respond, Ms Lee did not answer the questions that AGC had asked.”
Mr Lee, in his Facebook post, also accused the AGC of wasting public monies interfering in his family affairs.
“No one has complained from the outset on the process and circumstances of our father’s signing his final will – not Lee Kuan Yew, not his estate which stands in his shoes after his death, not any of the beneficiaries, including Lee Hsien Loong, who was advised by Lucien Wong, now AG. The will was proven in court in 2015 with no issues raised; all parties have acted in accordance with the will since then. What public interest is being served by AGC here? Why waste public resources on a private matter, and after all this time? Why is AGC rushing this case in 2019 when the facts were known by all parties for years?”
Mr Lee could face charges for his comments, which may be construed as scandalising the judiciary.
Following new contempt of court laws that came into effect in 2017, it is an offence for an individual to intentionally publish any matter or do any act that imputes improper motives to or impugns the integrity, propriety or impartiality of any court; and poses a risk that public confidence in the administration of justice would be undermined.
Mr Lee’s son, Li Shengwu, is currently being prosecuted by the AGC for contempt of court.
This, over a Facebook post on 21 Aug 2017 for commenting in a private Facebook post that Singapore has a “pliant court system”.
The AGC released a statement today in response to Mr Lee’s Facebook post.
It said that the matter has been referred to the Law Society, and that there will be a full hearing before a Disciplinary Tribunal chaired by the Chief Justice.
The AGC added that it will comment no further on the matter and all parties “to be mindful not to prejudice the proper hearing of the matter”.
