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Charles Yeo’s lawyer says harassment suit filed against his client over allegations of sexual misconduct by prominent young lawyer

SINGAPORE — A harassment lawsuit has been filed against the Reform Party's Charles Yeo for hurling sexual misconduct allegations and racially charged comments against a prominent lawyer here.

Mr Charles Yeo (left) published videos and written posts on Instagram containing accusations against Mr Imran Rahim.

Mr Charles Yeo (left) published videos and written posts on Instagram containing accusations against Mr Imran Rahim.

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  • Mr Charles Yeo last week published videos and written posts on Instagram containing accusations against Mr Imran Rahim
  • Mr Imran, who denied the accusations, has filed a harassment lawsuit against Mr Yeo
  • Mr Imran is currently on a leave of absence and said he is assisting his employer with an internal investigation

 

SINGAPORE — A harassment lawsuit has been filed against the Reform Party's Charles Yeo for hurling sexual misconduct allegations and racially charged comments against a prominent lawyer here.

The lawsuit was filed by Mr Imran Rahim, 32, a lawyer from Tan Kok Quan Partnership (TKQP). Mr Imran was the subject of numerous accusations made by Mr Yeo about his alleged sexual misconduct. In his online tirades, Mr Yeo also called him a “race traitor”.

Speaking to TODAY on Friday (July 31), Mr Yeo’s lawyer M Ravi said that the lawsuit against his client was filed last week under the Protection from Harassment Act, adding that the date of the first court hearing has been fixed for late-August.

Mr Imran is seeking for Mr Yeo to take down the allegations and for the costs of the proceedings to be borne by Mr Yeo, Mr Ravi said.

“We have firm instructions to enter Charles’ defence and my team and I will defend the case vigorously,” Mr Ravi wrote on Facebook, adding that his client maintained the allegations.

The human rights lawyer added that he has decided to act for Mr Yeo pro bono even though Mr Yeo had wanted to raise funds through an appeal for donations.

According to Mr Ravi, Mr Imran will be represented by a team led by Providence Law Asia’s Abraham Vergis. 

Mr Vergis declined comment when contacted, saying he had not received instructions from his client to speak on the case. TODAY has approached Mr Imran for comment.

The Protection from Harassment Act was enacted in 2014 to protect victims of harassment by giving them a range of criminal and civil remedies for harassment and for false statements of fact.

Last Tuesday, Mr Yeo —  himself a lawyer — published a series of videos and written messages on Instagram accusing Mr Imran of sexual misconduct, adding that he had been informed of this by “more than 10 members of the public”. 

Mr Yeo, 30, has about 16,500 followers on his Instagram account, many of whom he gained while he was contesting the Ang Mo Kio Group Representation Constituency in the July 10 General Election under the Reform Party’s ticket. The five-man team did not win the seats.

Mr Imran has denied these allegations and said previously he would be “taking the necessary steps to vindicate (himself)”.

“I do not know him and I do not know why he has chosen to launch these personal attacks against me,” he wrote on Instagram last Thursday after his law firm TKQP announced it was investigating the allegations.

Mr Imran had agreed to take a leave of absence and said he was assisting his employer with the internal investigations.

Outside of his profession, Mr Imran is a prominent community volunteer. He has also been in the news for his relationship with social media influencer Andrea Chong. They were married in March.

Mr Yeo wrote on Instagram that he would not be posting further about the matter as the case is now before the courts.

“My journey has only just begun. I can’t enter the hall of greats who suffered for democracy in Singapore unless I bear my fair share of stripes on my back,” he wrote in a post accompanied with a picture of the late politician J B Jeyaretnam outside the Supreme Court.

Opposition stalwart Jeyaretnam had been the subject of several defamation suits in the past, the most high-profile of which were brought against him by the ruling People’s Action Party.

Related topics

Tan Kok Quan Partnership sexual misconduct imran rahim charles yeo Reform Party

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