Singapore’s High Court orders Bloomberg and one of its reporters to pay defamation damages to two ministers after a trial tied to reporting about their property transactions. Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng each receive S$230,000 (about US$177,860), according to multiple outlets. The suits stem from a Bloomberg article that discussed alleged luxury bungalow (“Good Class Bungalow”) deals and described the transactions as increasingly opaque or shrouded in secrecy. The ministers sued Bloomberg and reporter Low De Wei over claims they said damaged their reputations. The court’s decision is widely described as a significant test of Singapore’s libel laws. Coverage notes that the ministers portray the action as aimed at protecting their integrity and the standing of their offices. Bloomberg’s editor-in-chief John Micklethwait says the company is disappointed with the ruling but will respect it. After the judgment, Shanmugam and Tan say they plan to donate the damages to charity.
Singapore High Court orders Bloomberg to pay damages in ministers’ defamation case
Singapore’s High Court orders Bloomberg and one of its reporters to pay defamation damages to two ministers after a trial tied to reporting about their property transactions. Home Affairs Minister K....
- Singapore’s High Court finds Bloomberg and its reporter liable in a defamation case brought by Ministers K. Shanmugam and Tan See Leng.
- The court orders damages of S$230,000 (about US$177,860) to each minister.
- The case relates to a Bloomberg report about alleged Good Class Bungalow property transactions connected to the ministers.
- The ministers file separate suits and argue the reporting harmed their reputations and the standing of their offices.
- Bloomberg says it is disappointed with the ruling but indicates it will respect it; the ministers say they will donate the damages to charity.
This comes after the High Court awarded the ministers $230,000 each in damages.
1 month agoThe High Court ruled that a 2024 article on the city-state's luxury real estate market maliciously defamed ministers Tan See Leng and K. Shanmugam.
1 month agoJakarta, July 16, 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...
1 month agoSingapore's high court ordered Bloomberg to pay damages to two ministers. This defamation case stemmed from a report on luxury property transactions. The article alleged non-transparent dealings and avoidance of scrutiny. Bloomberg expressed disappointment but will respect the court's ruling. The news agency stands by its reporter and editorial standards.
1 month agoBloomberg’s editor-in-chief, John Micklethwait, stands by reporting, saying ministers who sued ‘imposed an extremely strained meaning on what was a solid story’Bloomberg News and one of its reporters have been ordered to pay S$460,000 (US$355,734) in damages after an article it published was found to have defamed two Singapore government ministers, the city-state’s high court said in a judgment released on Tuesday.Bloomberg and the reporter, Low De Wei, are liable to jointly pay S$230,000 to each minister, comprising S$170,000 in general damages and S$60,000 in aggravated damages, the judgment said. Continue reading...
1 month agoSingapore's Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam and Manpower Minister Tan See Leng had sued Bloomberg and one of its reporters for defamation over a December 2024 article.
1 month ago
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