Singapore Court Orders Bloomberg to Pay $356,000 to Ministers in Defamation Case
Image: BBC News
A court in Singapore has ordered Bloomberg to pay more than $356,000 (about S$470,000) to two government ministers after finding that a report about their luxury property dealings was defamatory and had damaged their reputations.
The ministers had argued that the piece, which cited their purchases of high-end bungalows, falsely implied impropriety and suggested they had used their positions to gain advantage in Singapore's tightly regulated property market. The court ruled that the coverage crossed the line into defamation.
The judgment is the latest in a series of libel cases that have drawn international scrutiny to Singapore's legal environment. Defamation laws in the city-state are among the strictest in the world, and critics say they can be used to silence criticism of public officials. Supporters argue they protect individuals from false and damaging claims.
Bloomberg said it was reviewing the decision. The company, a major global financial news provider, had contested the suit, arguing that its reporting was accurate and in the public interest given the prominence of the figures involved.
The case centres on coverage of a wider political scandal involving lavish homes owned by several ministers, which prompted a parliamentary debate and a government review of conduct rules for officeholders. While no criminal wrongdoing was alleged in the reporting, the ministers maintained that the framing was misleading.
The award covers damages and legal costs. Observers note the ruling underscores the risks international media face when reporting on Singapore's political elite, where the threshold for defamation can be lower than in many Western jurisdictions.