When given a response he is not satisfied with, the PAP-hired prosecutor Davinder Singh went on a 30 minute-long drama and repeatedly told WP MP Sylvia Lim to “respect the court”. At the cross examination in court yesterday (Oct 22), the former PAP MP fabricated among another charge claiming that the WP MPs have “failed the residents” when the rates to be charged by managing agent FMSS was not disclosed at the appointment meeting:
“The former AHTC chair had not reproduced for the rest of the town council the rates charged by FMSS, despite it being the same as those of the outgoing managing agent, CPG Facilities Management. This is the most important contract of the town council. When you waive a tender, you don’t have the advantage of competitive rates – so all the more reason to know what the rates are going to be. So why didn’t you tell the rest of the town council what the rates were going to be?”
At the trial to bankrupt the WP MPs with a S$33 million civil lawsuit, the WP MP Sylvia Lim responded saying that the rates were understood to be at the prevailing rates charged by PAP-owned managing agent CPG Facilities Management. According to the court hearing, FMSS did charge the same rates as CPG, even when the rates were not disclosed at the point of its appointment. This response however angered Davinder Singh who then kept repeating his question and demanding that Sylvia Lim admit that she is dishonest.
At one point, the Singapore judge Kannan Ramesh assisted the PAP prosecution telling Sylvia Lim to “answer the question”:
“Judge Kanna Ramesh: The question has been asked several times over several minutes. Answer it please.
PAP Davinder Singh: I can understand if you are fencing with me. But it’s not just me asking the question, it’s the court. Please show some respect. When you say they should have disclosed the rates, in other words – they should have complied with their duties but they didn’t.
WP MP Sylvia Lim: Yes, your honour.”
After getting the MP’s acknowledgement, the PAP lawyer fired another attack claiming that MP Sylvia Lim and the other WP MPs have cheated the town council by not declaring that FMSS could commence and invoice work two weeks before its official appointment:
“A report circulated to other town councillors does not show that FMSS would begin charging the town council on Jun 15, a month before its contract officially began. One particular invoice had in fact already been paid by AHTC at the end of June… Ms Lim, as well as the other elected WP MPs, had decided to give as little information as possible to the town council about relevant events…But you wanted the FMSS arrangement approved. Which is why where it was necessary to withhold information … you breached your duties, you all prepared to do that to get the approval.”
MP Sylvia Lim however revealed that there are necessary works to avoid disruption of services to the residents at the interim period between June 15 and July 15, and that is why the invoice was made before FMSS’s official appointment date.
Davinder Singh then continued to charge that the opposition MP is dishonest.