On 16 July 2023, Political Sophistry, an online blog, published an article falsely conveying that:
These statements are false.
Facts
The facts are as follows:
Whether to arrest a person under investigation is an operational judgement by CPIB. In addition, whether and when to make public that a person has been arrested in connection with their investigations is a decision for the CPIB. In the usual course, it is the CPIB (and not Ministers) which releases such information.
CPIB’s press release on 12 July 2023 stated that Minister Iswaran was assisting CPIB with the investigation into a case uncovered by CPIB. CPIB did not then state that Minister Iswaran had been arrested on 11 July 2023.
As it is CPIB’s operational judgement when and whether to make public that a person has been arrested in connection with their investigations, PM’s statement of 12 July 2023 and DPM Wong at his doorstop interview on the same day were consistent with CPIB’s 12 July 2023 press release. It is therefore untrue that PM or DPM Wong did not want to disclose the fact of Minister Iswaran’s arrest because it was politically embarrassing, or that DPM had deliberately withheld information on the arrests because he wanted to conceal the truth. It is also not a case of PM and DPM Wong abdicating their responsibility to disclose such information. Instead, PM and DPM did not want to deviate from what CPIB had announced in its statement since this is related to operational matters.
Ministers have to let CPIB independently decide on the release of operational information. CPIB must be afforded the necessary time and space it needs to conduct a proper, thorough, and independent investigation.
The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Office Ms Indranee Rajah has instructed the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act (POFMA) Office to issue a Correction Direction to Political Sophistry. The Correction Direction requires the recipient to insert a notice against the original post, with a link to the Government’s clarification. We advise members of the public not to speculate and/or spread unverified rumours.
We use cookies to tailor your browsing experience. By continuing to use Gov.sg, you accept our use of cookies. To decline cookies at any time, you may adjust your browser settings. Find out more about your cookie preferences here .