Singapore court orders Bloomberg, reporter, to pay $356,000 for defaming ministers
Justice Audrey Lim said the article linked the ministers’ property deals to possible money laundering and rejected Bloomberg’s public interest defense.
- On Tuesday, July 14, the High Court awarded Cabinet ministers Shanmugam and Tan See Leng S$230,000 each in damages after ruling in their favor in a defamation suit against Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei.
- The lawsuit arose from a December 2024 Bloomberg article titled 'Singapore Mansion Deals Are Increasingly Shrouded in Secrecy,' which detailed property transactions including Shanmugam's sale of his Queen Astrid Park home and Tan's purchase of a Brizay Park bungalow.
- Justice Audrey Lim found the article implied the ministers 'took advantage' of regulations to deal properties in a 'non-transparent manner' to 'avoid scrutiny that might extend to the possibility of money laundering,' impugning their personal integrity and professional reputation.
- Bloomberg argued the story listed the ministers as 'newsworthy examples' rather than implying wrongdoing; separately, authorities ordered the outlet to attach a 'correction notice' under the Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act.
- Singapore's leaders have frequently utilized defamation lawsuits against foreign media to protect their reputations, though critics argue such legal actions effectively stifle political dissent within the nation.
35 Articles
35 Articles
Bangkok, 15 Jul (EFE).- The Supreme Court of Singapore ruled in favor of two government ministers in a defamation suit against Bloomberg, due to an article pointing to dubious real estate operations by both officials, and ordered the U.S. media to pay a fine of $356,000 for damages to politicians. Interior and National Security Minister K Shanmugam; and Labor Minister Tan See Leng; they welcomed the Court's decision, issued on Monday, while reit…
CPJ warns Bloomberg defamation ruling could chill reporting in Singapore
Jakarta, July 15, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by the Singapore High Court’s decision ordering Bloomberg and one of its reporters to pay S$460,000 (US$356,000) in damages to two senior ministers who sued them for defamation over an article about their property deals. The coordinating minister for national security, K. Shanmugam, and...
(Hanoi=Yonhap News) Correspondent Park Jin-hyung = A Singapore court [defended] the ministers' reputation regarding a Bloomberg article raising suspicions about the ministers' luxury real estate transactions...
A Singapore court has ordered Bloomberg and its journalists to jointly pay more than S$460,000 in compensation after an article about a mansion sale was interpreted as linking two ministers to money laundering and the concealment of transactions.
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