On October 3, a Singapore court sentenced former transport minister S. Iswaran to 12 months in jail, in the first case in the financial center involving a public official in four decades. Photo source: Roslan Rahman / AFP
A Singapore court sentenced former minister S. Iswaran to 12 months in prison on Thursday for obstructing justice and receiving gifts worth over $300,000, marking the first imprisonment of a former cabinet member in the city-state, known for its clean governance, Reuters reports.
S. Iswaran, who served in the cabinet for 13 years and held portfolios for trade, communications, and transport, pleaded guilty last week to four charges of improperly receiving gifts and one for obstructing justice.
The last corruption case involving a Singaporean minister occurred in 1986 when the national development minister was investigated for alleged bribery but passed away before criminal charges could be filed.
The investigation focused on allegations that Iswaran, while serving as transport minister, accepted expensive gifts from businessmen, including tickets to Premier League football matches, the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, London musicals, and a private jet ride. The total value of these gifts exceeded $300,000.
Iswaran, 62, refused to answer questions when arriving at court and showed no emotion during the hearing. He was allowed to remain on bail for a few days before beginning his prison sentence.
Initially, Iswaran had declared his innocence and vowed to clear his name, but last week he pleaded guilty to the five charges brought by prosecutors. Two of the charges, originally related to corruption, were amended to the receipt of gifts as a public servant.
The prosecutor changed the legal classification, fearing they could not prove the corruption charges beyond a reasonable doubt. Iswaran was arrested in July last year and accused of receiving commissions from businessmen, including real estate tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix.
Ong has not been charged with any crime, and no public comment has been made on the accusations. The Attorney-General’s office stated last week that a decision on whether to take action against Ong would be made soon.
In his ruling, the judge noted that there is a higher level of culpability when a public official holds a high position with greater influence over business transactions.
