SINGAPORE (Reuters) – A Singapore blogger said on Monday that it had raised $ 133,000 ($ 98,840) through crowdfunding on social media to cover damages ordered to pay Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in a case of defamation filed by the city-state leader.
Lee had sued Leong Sze Hian, a financial adviser, after sharing on Facebook an online news article linking the prime minister to a financial scandal of Malaysia’s 1MDB state fund.
Lee’s lawyers have said the links were “false and baseless.” Leong had deleted the November 2018 Facebook post within three days of its post, in response to a government request.
On March 24, the Singapore High Court ordered Lee to pay $ 133,000.
“I’m very happy, very grateful,” he told Reuters on Monday.
Leong made the announcement on Facebook on Sunday afternoon, when he posted, “It’s over. Everything paid off.”
As the head of a government that has promised zero tolerance for corruption, 69-year-old Lee is no stranger to trying to protect his reputation through legal means.
Popular figures from the People’s Action Party, which includes Lee’s late father and current Singapore founder Lee Kuan Yew, have previously sued foreign media, political opponents and online commentators.
($ 1 = $ 1,3456 from Singapore)
Report by Aradhana Aravindan; Edited by Martin Petty