Mayor Singh Defends Record In Public Statement

Wyndham Mayor Preet Singh says he will shortly return to the Office of the Mayor, rejecting sustained calls for his resignation and denying any wrongdoing in a public statement released on Thursday 23 April 2026 (AEST).

The statement arrives as pressure continues to mount over a character reference Cr Singh provided in April 2024 for a man later jailed for child sex offences.

Cr Singh opens by thanking supporters and says his family, particularly his daughters, have “endured serious emotional trauma, abuse, and defamation” throughout the controversy. “To everyone who has stood beside me during this deeply challenging time — thank you. Your support has meant more than I can express,” he says.

The Mayor sets out three statements he says he wants to make “without any ambiguity”: “I have done nothing illegal, criminal, or unlawful.” “I do not, and will never, condone or support child sexual abuse.” “At no point did I suggest that what occurred was acceptable.”

The controversy centres on a reference provided for Kashyap Patel prior to Cr Singh’s election to Wyndham City Council. Patel pleaded guilty to grooming a child under 16, transmitting indecent communication to a person under 16, and sexual assault of a child under 16, and was sentenced in September 2024 to nine months’ jail and a two-year community corrections order.

Cr Singh says the letter “was provided when I was a private citizen and is not connected in any way to the Office of the Mayor or Councillor.”

He maintains he has already taken responsibility for the decision. “I have accepted accountability for my error of judgement, and I have apologised sincerely and unreservedly to the victim and their family for the impact my actions had on them. That apology stands,” he says.

In a defiant passage, Cr Singh signals he will not step down. “I will not allow myself to be bullied into resigning by a politically motivated group pursuing an agenda that seeks to take advantage of this issue,” he says. He says doing so “would not reflect accountability, it would wrongly legitimise allegations that are false, unfounded, and made to instil other leaders into positions of influence at Wyndham City.”

The Mayor claims the campaign against him has been driven by “a small, organised group with well-known political affiliations and vested interests in Council matters”, alleging it “began well before this issue emerged and has been deliberately amplified through coordinated social media activity intended to discredit me and inflame division.”

Cr Singh directly rejects the terms applied to him online. “I have been publicly labelled a criminal, a paedophile, and a threat to children and women. These accusations are false. They are vile. They are entirely unjustified. I did not commit a crime. I did not endorse one.”

He adds there are “no matters or decisions of mine under investigation by any authority.”

The statement comes after all ten of Cr Singh’s fellow councillors publicly called for his resignation and as three councillors have convened an unscheduled council meeting for 6pm on Monday 27 April 2026 to consider a motion of no confidence. Cr Singh was elected Mayor on 23 March 2026 and stepped aside from mayoral duties from 2 April 2026 while he considered his position. A state government monitor has also been announced for the council.

Cr Singh signals his return is imminent and acknowledges Deputy Mayor Jasmine Hill, who has been performing mayoral duties in an acting capacity during his leave. “I will shortly return to the Office of the Mayor. I want to acknowledge and thank Cr Jasmine Hill for her role as Acting Mayor during my leave over the past few weeks,” he says.

He closes with a message to his ward. “Since joining Council, I have worked tirelessly in service of this community every day, without exception. I will continue to do so, and I thank the Bemin Ward community for this privilege.”

“Most importantly, I will continue to respect the laws and democratic processes of our country,” he says.