Lawyer friend:
"One of the first lessons I learnt as a young lawyer was to draft holding replies.
1. If you have good grounds to rebut the allegations, include in your letter words along the lines of, "We reject these baseless allegations". What's missing is frequently as important as what's written.
2. If you are less sure or need more time to investigate, it's best to send out the holding response quickly.
3. If you delay, but don't refute allegations, the inevitable conclusion will be that you investigated but found you had no way to rebut the allegations. You are simply buying time hoping for a miracle.
4. A frequently included phrase is that you will "respond only at the appropriate time and forum".
This is ok, unless you already did the thing you are now saying you wouldn't do (as an excuse to avoid responding).
Eg. I won't give a press conference while court proceedings are ongoing. (But bro, few days back you just gave a press conf, and court proceedings were already ongoing then...)"
For reference:
"MEDIA STATEMENT
We note the release of the interim report by the Parliamentary Committee of Privileges without having taken the evidence of Workers’ Party leaders against whom serious allegations have been made. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr Pritam Singh, had made it clear on 2 December, that he is prepared to give evidence before the Committee of Privileges.
Some members of the public have asked why Workers’ Party leaders have not responded thus far to the interim report released by the Committee of Privileges. We understand that the Committee’s work remains in progress. It is thus prudent for a response to be given at the appropriate forum and juncture.
We thank all who have conveyed messages of encouragement to the Party, including residents of Aljunied GRC, Hougang SMC and Sengkang GRC, Party members, volunteers, as well as members of the public.
The Workers’ Party"