SINGAPORE Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan has chosen to go to jail instead of paying a $4,000 fine for trying to leave the country without permission while bankrupt.

His appeal against the fine, handed down in February after a lower court found him guilty, was dismissed by Justice Choo Han Teck on Tuesday.

Chee was given up to 5 pm to pay up. As he did not, he was taken to the Queenstown Remand Prison to serve three weeks in default.

On April 1 last year, he tried to leave the country to attend a conference in Istanbul, Turkey, but was stopped at the airport.

Under the law, a bankrupt must obtain permission from the Official Assignee to travel. In Chee's case, there was none.

Chee was declared a bankrupt in February 2006 after failing to pay $500,000 in damages to Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew for defaming them during the 2001 General Election.

On Tuesday, Chee arrived in court with a small travel bag.

His lawyer Alfred Dodwell argued that Chee should be given the benefit of the doubt - he had applied for permission to travel, but got no letter saying permission had not been given until after Apr 1.

As a first-time bankrupt, Chee therefore believed he may have been given permission to travel when he turned up at Changi Airport, he said.