The former minister of transport of Singapore, S Iswaran, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to five charges in a corruption case that has drawn significant attention from legal professionals both within and outside Singapore. Iswaran, who was accused of receiving gifts worth over S $400,000 (more than US $300,000), faced charges related to his interactions with two prominent Singaporean businessmen, Ong Beng Seng and Lum Kok Seng.
The former minister admitted to four charges of receiving valuable items and gifts while serving as the chairman of the F1 Steering Committee from Ong Beng Seng. The gifts included tickets to F1 events, football matches, a private jet flight to Qatar, a hotel stay at the Four Seasons in Doha, and a business class flight from Qatar to Singapore. These offenses fall under Article 165 of Singapore’s Penal Code, which prohibits public servants from obtaining anything of value from any person involved in an official capacity.
Iswaran also faced charges under Article 204A of the Penal Code for obstructing the course of justice by hiding the tracks of a private jet flight offered by Ong Beng Seng. To cover this, Iswaran repaid S $5,700 to the Singapore Grand Prix (GP), where Ong was the majority shareholder. Additionally, gifts such as wine bottles and a Brampton bicycle from Lum Kok Seng, director of Lum Chang Building Contractors, were also part of the accusations.
This trial follows several months of legal proceedings where Iswaran initially denied 35 corruption charges brought against him under Article 165 of the Penal Code and the Prevention of Corruption Act. However, the prosecutor reduced the number of charges to five, focusing on those filed under the Penal Code. The remaining charges will be taken into account during sentencing.
Iswaran’s legal battle makes him the first minister in Singapore to face corruption charges since 1986. His trial is ongoing and will continue until September 27, with a maximum penalty of seven years for obstructing justice and two years for obtaining valuables as a public servant. The prosecution has, however, requested a lighter sentence of six to seven months. The sentencing has been postponed to October 3.
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