Testifying on the third day of a trial against him for attempting to hold an illegal rally, the secretary general of Singapore Democratic Party refuted statements by prosecution witnesses that a crowd of 30 people had swelled to 50 within two minutes.

Chee and SDP colleague Ghandi Ambalam are also accused of trespassing on the grounds of the Istana state complex which houses the offices of Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and President S.R. Nathan.

Three police officers who had taken the witness stand earlier this week said Chee was arrested because of a commotion in the crowd about noon last May 1 and that there was a potential it could erupt into a law and order problem.

The officers said the size of the crowd had grown and they feared passers-by who stopped to see what was going on could further swell the gathering and lead to disorder.

"There couldn't have been a crowd because I was slated to speak at 2 pm that day," said Chee, a non-lawyer who is representing himself.

He also said he was not giving a rally speech but was answering queries from a group of reporters who had arrived to cover the scheduled rally.

Political rallies are rare in the strictly policed city-state and Chee's application for a permit had been rejected.

Videotapes of the gathering taken by both the SDP and the prosecution and which were played before the court on Tuesday showed mostly journalists and television camera crew surrounding Chee before he was arrested.

"I didn't even think there were 20 people surrounding me and as I've said, all of them were from the media," he said.

Chee said the only time there was a commotion was when police officers moved in to arrest him prompting photographers and journalists to rush forward for "close-ups".

The trial continues on Thursday.

Chee has paid a series of fines and served brief prison terms in his fight against the ruling People's Action Party, which has dominated Singapore politics since independence in 1965.

In August, he was ordered by the High Court to pay damages to Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong and Senior Minister Lee Kuan Yew for defamation, but has said he will appeal the decision.

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