A photograph showing President Tharman Shanmugaratnam and former Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong at a group dinner with Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell has resurfaced, prompting discussion on online forums.
The image, which has been circulated widely, is a group photograph taken during a dinner at Jade Restaurant, The Fullerton Singapore.
Source: @_aussie17 on X
In response to queries from MS News, the President’s Office referred to an official listing from the National Archives of Singapore (NAS).
The NAS record states that the photograph was taken on 23 May 2002, during a dinner hosted by then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong for former United States (US) President Bill Clinton.
Source: National Archives Singapore
It also listed the other guests who were present, including:
The description of the record did not mention either Epstein or Maxwell.
The image is credited to the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts Collection, courtesy of the NAS.
The photograph has triggered some speculation, particularly due to Epstein’s later criminal actions which primarily centred on the US and other overseas locations.
Source: r/SingaporeRaw on Reddit
However, some netizens noted that this image does not allege or prove any criminal activity in Singapore, nor does it suggest that Singapore officials were aware of Epstein’s crimes.
One Reddit user said that there was “nothing surprising” about the image, as Epstein was an influential figure.
Another commenter agreed, saying that the group photo was far from incriminating.
Source: r/SingaporeRaw on Reddit
The dinner took place in 2002, years before Epstein’s offences became publicly known.
While investigations for various crimes involving minors began in 2005, he was only arrested specifically for sex trafficking minors on 6 July 2019.
He died in US federal custody a month later on 10 Aug 2019.
Meanwhile, Maxwell, 64, a British former socialite, was found guilty in 2021 of child sex trafficking and other offences linked to Epstein.
Source: United States District Court for the Southern District of New York (SDNY)
MS News has reached out to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for comment.
Also read: Mandelson’s alleged dinner with Lee Kuan Yew surfaces in Epstein files, sparks online debate
Have news you must share? Get in touch with us via email at news@mustsharenews.com.
Featured image adapted from @_aussie17 on X.