Former attorney-general joins Lee Suet Fern’s legal defence team
Legal heavyweights Walter Woon and Tan Chee Meng are lined up on opposite sides in the disciplinary tribunal looking into any possible misconduct by Mrs Lee Suet Fern in preparing the last will of her late father-in-law and prime minister Lee Kuan Yew, who died in 2015.
Former attorney-general and Senior Counsel Woon will act for Mrs Lee, an addition her husband, Mr Lee Hsien Yang, said would "strengthen the defence team of Mr Abraham Vergis" from Providence Law Asia.
The Law Society has appointed Senior Counsel and WongPartnership deputy chairman Tan Chee Meng to prosecute the case before the tribunal.
"My role as prosecuting counsel for LawSoc is to present the facts objectively, and the decision rests with the tribunal," said Mr Tan.
When contacted yesterday, Professor Woon, who lectures at the NUS Law Faculty and is dean of the Singapore Institute of Legal Education, said he had been "asked to help out".
"(Mrs Lee) is an old friend."
Mr Lee Hsien Yang said in a Facebook post yesterday he was "delighted" to have him on board.
The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) had in January referred the case to the Law Society as it appeared Mrs Lee had prepared the late Mr Lee's last will and arranged for him to execute it in 2013.
The AGC had said this placed her in a position of conflict and was a breach of the rules governing the conduct of lawyers as her husband was a beneficiary. The share of Mr Lee Hsien Yang increased under the final will.
The AGC also noted that Mr Lee Hsien Yang had publicly said the last will was drafted by Ms Kwa Kim Li of law firm Lee & Lee. Ms Kwa had denied this.
Mr Lee Hsien Yang has also said his wife never served as his father's lawyer. He has also said the AGC's assertion that his wife has refused to respond to it was untrue, and he called on the AGC to release the full correspondence with his wife.
The AGC has said there will be a full hearing before the disciplinary tribunal appointed by the Chief Justice, and Mrs Lee can present her case there.
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