Lawyer Lim Tean returns to court to face fresh charges after alleged abscondment

The opposition politician appeared via videolink.

Police officers escorting Lim Tean on Aug 11, 2026. (Photo: Singapore Police Force)

This audio is generated by an AI tool.

SINGAPORE: Lawyer and opposition politician Lim Tean was handed new charges on Friday (Oct 9) in his first criminal court appearance since his alleged abscondment to Malaysia.

Lim, 61, appeared via videolink to receive the charges. CNA is checking on the details of the new charges.

Lim is represented by lawyer Revi Shanker.

Lim was convicted in July 2024 of practising as a lawyer without a valid practising certificate. He had attended court hearings on behalf of clients and prepared documents related to proceedings during the period when he did not have a valid practising certificate.

A district court sentenced him in February 2025 to six weeks' jail and a S$1,000 (US$780) fine .

In February 2026, the High Court dismissed Lim's appeal against his conviction and sentence and allowed the prosecution's cross-appeal, increasing his jail term to three months and one week .

Following an appeal by the prosecution, the High Court increased his sentence to three months and one week's jail in February, while dismissing Lim's appeal against his conviction and sentence.

Lim, the founder of Peoples Voice and secretary-general of the People's Alliance for Reform, was due to surrender at the State Courts on Aug 3 to begin serving his jail term, but failed to do so and left Singapore while on court bail.

A warrant of arrest was issued against him that day.

Lim was arrested in Johor Bahru by the Royal Malaysia Police on Aug 6 and handed over to the Singapore Police Force on Aug 11 .

As a result of the alleged abscondment, Lim's bailor, socio-political blogger Leong Sze Hian, was ordered to forfeit S$45,000 that he had furnished as bail .

Lim has since begun serving his jail term.

Lim was declared bankrupt in April. He was also fined S$30,000 over his conduct in handling a former client’s money in a disciplinary matter.

Apart from the current charges, he faces several outstanding criminal charges.

Two men have also been charged over alleged arrangements for Lim to leave Singapore illegally.

Sulaiman Muhammad Firdaus, 38, and Mohammad Adam Abd Karim, 45, each face one count of conspiring to commit an act that has a tendency to defeat the course of justice, knowing that the act is likely to defeat the course of justice.

Their cases are also pending before the courts and both are due to return to court on Friday.

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反对派政治人物通过视频连线出席。

2026年8月11日，警员押送林添。（图片：新加坡警察部队）

这段音频由人工智能工具生成。

新加坡：律师兼反对派政治人物林鼎于周五（10月9日）首次出庭受审，这是他自涉嫌逃往马来西亚以来首次在刑事法庭出庭，并被控以新的罪名。

现年61岁的林某通过视频连线出庭接受指控。亚洲新闻台（CNA）正在核实新指控的详情。

林先生的代理律师是雷维·尚克尔。

林某于2024年7月被判犯有无有效执业证书执业罪。在他没有有效执业证书期间，他曾代表客户出席法庭听证会并准备与诉讼程序相关的文件。

2025年2月，地方法院判处他六周监禁和1000新加坡元（780美元）罚款。

2026 年 2 月，高等法院驳回了林某对其定罪和量刑的上诉，并允许控方的交叉上诉，将其监禁刑期增加到三个月零一周。

2 月，高等法院在检方提出上诉后，将林某的刑期增加到三个月零一周的监禁，同时驳回了林某对其定罪和量刑的上诉。

人民之声创始人兼人民改革联盟秘书长林冠英原定于8月3日到国家法院报到服刑，但他并未到庭，并在获得法院保释期间离开了新加坡。

当天就对他发出了逮捕令。

林某于8月6日在柔佛州新山被马来西亚皇家警察逮捕，并于8月11日移交给新加坡警察部队。

由于林某涉嫌潜逃，其保释人、社会政治博主梁思贤被勒令没收其提供的 45,000 新元保释金。

林某已开始服刑。

林某于四月被宣布破产。此外，他还因处理前客户资金不当而被处以3万新元的罚款，这是一起纪律处分案件。

除了目前的指控外，他还面临多项未决刑事指控。

另有两名男子因涉嫌安排林某非法离开新加坡而被起诉。

38 岁的 Sulaiman Muhammad Firdaus 和 45 岁的 Mohammad Adam Abd Karim 均面临一项共谋实施妨碍司法公正行为的指控，他们明知该行为可能妨碍司法公正。

他们的案件目前仍在法院审理中，两人都将于周五再次出庭。

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