Lee Hsien Yang, brother of prime minister Lee Hsien Loong, has accused government authorities of persecuting his family.
This comes after the news that he and his wife, Lee Suet Fern, are under police investigation over allegations of providing false evidence in judicial proceedings.
The proceedings involve the will of the late Lee Kuan Yew, with contention over the demolition of his 38 Oxley Road house taking centre stage.
Lee Hsien Yang and his wife are accused of lying under oath by a panel of three judges and a disciplinary tribunal.
He has refused to participate in the police investigation and remains out of Singapore.
He is said to be in self-imposed exile in Europe.
Lee Hsien Yang has rejected the allegations as “a further attempt to discredit and attack me,” adding that it is “not safe” for him to return to Singapore.
His son, Shengwu Li, tweeted that for his parents to come back to Singapore for questioning could put them at risk.
“In Singapore, the authorities can hold you indefinitely, under inhumane conditions, without timely access to a lawyer.”
He added that “when a hostile authoritarian government says they want to ‘question’ you it is clear what that means.”
Lee Hsien Yang had previously said in a Facebook post that he “feared the use of organs of the state” against his family.
Li, a professor at Harvard University living in the US, was found guilty in 2020 of contempt of court over a private Facebook post.
Lee Suet Fern was found guilty of misconduct and suspended for 15 months by the Court of Three Judges in 2020 over her handling of Lee Kuan Yew’s last will.
