A political website apologized Wednesday to Singapore's prime minister for a posting that alleged nepotism in the appointment of his wife as head of a state-linked investment firm.
Temasek Review Emeritus - well known for its anti-establishment articles - said the article was without basis.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's lawyer had, on Sunday, written to the political website's editors demanding an apology and the removal of the post published on Thursday.
"We unreservedly apologies to Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for the distress and embarrassment caused to him by this allegation," Richard Wan, one of the website's editors, said in an online post Wednesday.
"We admit and acknowledge that this allegation is false and completely without foundation," Wan said.
"We have removed the article and the comments in response to the article and undertake not to make any further allegation to the same or similar effect," he added.
Wan also acknowledged information contained in the lawyer's letter, which showed that Lee was not involved in the decision-making process to appoint his wife Ho Ching as the chief executive of state investment firm Temasek Holdings.
In his letter, Lee's lawyer Davinder Singh had said it was "publicly known" that Ho's appointment in January 2004 was made "on merit and through proper process."
Temasek Holdings is one of two Singapore state investment firms and had a portfolio worth Sg$193 billion ($153 billion) for the financial year ending March 31, 2011.
In a note that accompanied the formal apology, the website urged its readers to refrain from making similar allegations, which it said would be deleted.
International human rights organizations have regularly criticized Singapore's leaders for using financially ruinous libel suits to silence critics and political opponents.
Publications like The Economist, Bloomberg and Financial Times have previously paid damages and apologized to the Lee family for publishing similar allegations.
AFP