Lee Hsien Yang and his wife, lawyer Lee Suet Fern, are being probed by the police for potentially giving false testimony in legal proceedings over the will of Singapore's founding prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean stated in a written answer to a parliamentary question on Thursday, 2 March, that the pair first consented to a police interview during the investigation.
Teo stated that the pair then changed their minds and declined to attend the interview, according to local news sources. Even though the police advised them to reconsider their participation in the investigation, they have since departed Singapore and are now residing abroad.
Teo stated that Lee and his wife were advised that the required actions would be done in their absence to conclude the investigations.
He noted that it was disheartening that the pair had declined to attend the interview, and that their conduct raises issues in light of the ongoing legal proceedings.
"If they maintain their innocence, the probe will provide them with the opportunity to clear their names. They should participate, take full advantage of the chance to present their case, and clear their names" Teo responded with a reply.
Lee is the brother of the current prime minister, Lee Hsien Loong, and the son of Singapore's first prime minister, Lee Kuan Yew.
After their father's death in 2015, PM Lee, Lee Hsien Yang, and their sister Dr. Lee Wei Ling fought over the destiny of the family property at 38 Oxley Road.
Lee Suet Fern was suspended from practicing law for fifteen months in 2020 after being found guilty of wrongdoing in the administration of Lee Kuan Yew's will.
Teo, who chaired 38 Oxley Road's ministerial committee to determine what should be done with the property after Lee Kuan Yew's death, was quoted by CNA as saying that a disciplinary tribunal and the Court of Three Judges found that Lee Hsien Yang and his wife had misled the former prime minister and lied under oath about the execution of the last will.
His written statement was in response to a legislative question posed by Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim, a member of the Chua Chu Kang GRC, about the accuracy of an e-book titled "The Struggle Over Lee Kuan Yew's Final Will" in depicting the events preceding the signing of the will.
The e-book, written by local author Sudhir Thomas Vadaketh and released in July of last year, explores the dispute surrounding the late Prime Minister's will and the residence located at 38 Oxley Road, which resulted in disciplinary procedures against Lee Suet Fern.
Teo was quoted by CNA as saying that the e-book has a number of falsehoods that are "calculated to mislead" and "completely at odds" with court rulings.
"The book is not trustworthy because it completely disregards the facts and conclusions that were developed following an impartial and exhaustive investigation of the case," he stated.
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