Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) unveiled on Monday that the former Minister for Transport, S. Iswaran, has been affronted with eight supplementary indictments for purportedly securing valuable possessions, amounting to around US $14,094, in his tenure with no quid pro quo. These new accusations stem from gifts allegedly received from Lum Kok Seng, the managing director of a construction firm actively participating in Singaporean government projects.
The alleged violations are reported to have taken place between November 2021 and November 2022, during Iswaran’s incumbency as the Minister for Transport. The prosecution correlates with the construction of a Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station in Singapore, amongst other interests. The citations have been marked under Section 165 of the Singaporean Penal Code, outlining prohibitions on bribery involving public servants, which carries penalties of fines or up to two years in jail, or both.
On January 18, 2024, Iswaran was implicated with 27 prior offenses for violations of sections 165 and 204A(a) of the Penal Code, and section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act. These allegations pertain to receivables from well-known property magnate Ong Beng Seng in return for boosting Ong’s business interests between November 2015 and December 2021. The former minister disputed all 27 charges. Subsequently, the court permitted that these eight additional offenses to be combined with the earlier charges.
Stepping into the role of Minister of Transport in May 2021 amidst a Cabinet shuffle, Iswaran retained his Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations position. However, after these corruption allegations surfaced publicly in July 2023, he resigned from both roles, while denying the charges. In January 2024, the former minister was succeeded by Chee Hong Tat as the new Minister for Transport.
In prosecuting Iswaran, the CPIB emphasized that Singapore follows a stringent stance against corruption, having been rated the fifth least corrupt country, in a group of 180 nations, in the Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index 2023. Partnering with the community to ensure public trustworthiness remains paramount, the CPIB reaffirmed its commitment to protecting Singapore’s integrity.