Former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran has pleaded guilty to accepting gifts worth thousands of dollars while in office, following months of denying the charges against him. Iswaran, who resigned in January, pleaded guilty to five charges on the first day of his corruption trial, after the original 25 offences were reduced to five. The charges included breaching the Penal Code by obtaining valuable items from businessmen with whom he had official relationships, as well as obstruction of justice. Iswaran, known for bringing the Formula One night race to Singapore, admitted to receiving over 400,000 Singapore dollars in gifts, including tickets to shows, flights, whisky, and a bicycle.
Although Iswaran paid back 380,000 Singapore dollars to the state and forfeited the gifts, he could still face sentencing for his guilty plea. The case is a rare instance of a senior politician in Singapore facing corruption charges, with the last similar case occurring in 1986. The former minister’s trial comes as another prominent politician, Tan Chuan Jin, resigned over an extramarital affair, highlighting the challenges faced by Singapore’s political establishment. Singapore, known for its strict anti-corruption measures, was ranked the world’s fifth least corrupt country in 2023.
Neither of the businessmen who gave Iswaran gifts have been charged with any offences, but the case has sparked discussions about the standards expected of civil servants and political officeholders in Singapore. The outcome of the trial will be closely watched by observers, as it could have far-reaching implications for the country’s political landscape and reputation for transparency and accountability.
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