Singapore's founding prime minister Lee Kuan Yew's advocate daughter-in-law may have to face the charge of alleged "professional misconduct" for preparing his last will after the state prosecutors referred the case to a body that oversees the work of lawyers.
The Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) has referred the case of drafting of Lee's last will by his daughter-in-law Lee Suet Fern to the Law Society after she failed explain her position and role, if any, in preparing his last testament.
The state prosecutor's office has also requested the Society that the matter be referred to a disciplinary tribunal, it said in a statement on Monday.
Lee Kuan Yew was Singapore's first Prime Minister who ruled the city-state for three decade, between 1965 and 1990. He died in 2015 at the age of 91.
Lee Suet Fern is the wife of former prime minister's second son Lee Hsien Yang, who along with his sister, Lee Wei Ling are in dispute over the 120-year-old family house on prime land with their elder brother and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.
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The two siblings want their family house demolished as willed by the former prime minister, according to media reports.
Last year, in April, a Ministerial Committee laid out the options for the house in a report that said a future government should decide the fate of the family home of Singapore's founding prime minister.
"In this case, AGC became aware of a possible case of professional misconduct by Lee Suet Fern. She appears to have prepared the last will of Lee Kuan Yew and arranged for its execution, despite the fact that her husband, Lee Hsien Yang, is one of the beneficiaries under the last will," the AGC said in the statement.
"Lee Hsien Yang's share increased under the last will. AGC also noted that Lee Hsien Yang had said publicly that the last will was drafted by Kwa Kim Lee of Lee & Lee. However, Kwa Kim Lee has denied that she drafted it," local media reported quoting the statement as saying.
Kwa Kim Li, Prime Minister Lee's cousin, had prepared the six previous versions of Lee Kuan Yew's will, the report said.
The statement said that the case "does not relate to the validity of the last will of Lee Kuan Yew."
Lee Suet Fern, formerly a managing partner of law firm Morgan Lewis Stamford, has been at the centre of a dispute between the late Lee's children her husband, Lee Wei Ling and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong over the preparation of their father's final will, according to a report by the Channel News Asia.
Under the legal profession's rules of conduct, lawyers are not allowed to place themselves in a position of conflict, the AGC said.
"Where a person intends to make a significant gift by will to any member of the lawyer's family, the lawyer must not act for the person and must advise him to obtain independent advice in respect of the gift. This rule applies even if the lawyer is related to the person making the gift," it said.
"However, despite asking for extensions of time to respond, Lee Suet Fern did not answer the questions that AGC had asked," it said, adding that the matter was then referred to the Law Society.
"The Deputy Attorney-General has also further requested that the matter be referred to a Disciplinary Tribunal," the statement added.
The AGC said it has a "statutory duty to deal with misconduct by lawyers" and that when it becomes aware of the possibility of misconduct, it is required to consider if the matter should be referred to the Law Society.
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