Ex-Minister Iswaran Pleads Guilty in Graft Case That Has Gripped Singapore

By Xinghui Kok

SINGAPORE – Former Transport Minister S. Iswaran has admitted to accepting gifts while in office, according to local media reports, as his unusual corruption trial began on Tuesday in Singapore, a notable financial center in Asia.

The charges against Iswaran include receiving favors such as tickets to English Premier League soccer matches and the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix. This case has captured the attention of the prosperous city-state, known for its efficient bureaucracy and strong governance.

Iswaran, who entered the cabinet in 2006, marks the first instance of a Singaporean minister being tried in court.

At the age of 62, he was arrested in July of the previous year and accused of taking kickbacks amounting to hundreds of thousands of dollars from property magnate Ong Beng Seng. While serving as an advisor to the Grand Prix steering committee, Iswaran received these benefits from Ong, who holds the rights to the race.

Ong has not faced any charges, and Iswaran had previously denied all allegations when he stepped down from his ministerial role.

During the court proceedings, Iswaran pleaded guilty to charges of obstructing justice and for a public servant accepting items of value without proper compensation from someone with whom they have an official relationship, rather than accepting corruption-related charges.

In a surprising turn, prosecutors narrowed the charges from 35 down to five, with the remaining 30 charges being considered during sentencing.

The penalty for accepting gifts includes a maximum jail time of two years and a fine, while obstructing justice could result in up to seven years in prison and a fine. However, the prosecution sought a lighter sentence of six to seven months in jail, while the defense requested just eight weeks.

Prosecutors stated that Iswaran received gifts valued at S$403,297.92 (approximately $312,440) from two local businessmen. He has already returned S$380,305.95 of his financial gains to the state.

"The accused obtained all of the gifts for himself, some of which he later shared with family, friends, and others," the prosecution noted.

The last known corruption case involving a Singaporean minister occurred in 1986, when the minister of national development was investigated for accepting bribes, only to die before court charges could be laid.

Singapore ranked as one of the top five least corrupt countries in the world last year according to Transparency International’s corruption perception index.