Bloomberg defamation case against Singapore ministers
The developments in this story so far, most recent first.
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Resolution
Singapore ministers awarded S$145,000 each in Bloomberg case costs
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· date approximate Background
A court ruled that a December 2024 Bloomberg article on Good Class Bungalow transactions had defamed the ministers.
In December 2024, a court ruled that a Bloomberg article concerning Good Class Bungalow (GCB) transactions had defamed Singapore's Senior Minister K Shanmugam and Minister for Trade and Industry (Energy and Industry) Tan See Leng. The article, which discussed the secrecy of mansion purchases among the ultra-rich and referenced a S$3 billion money laundering scandal, named both ministers and their respective GCB transactions.
Although Bloomberg and its reporter contested the claims by stating the report focused on broader market trends rather than personal wrongdoing, the judge rejected this argument. The court found that the article, when read as a whole, created a defamatory impression by linking the ministers' transactions to claims of secrecy, opacity, and money laundering. Additionally, the judge rejected the use of the Reynolds defence, noting it is not part of Singapore law.
Bloomberg and its reporter were ordered to pay S$230,000 in damages to each minister. Furthermore, following the successful defamation suit, both ministers were awarded S$145,000 each in legal costs.