Singapore, among least corrupt nations, jails ex-minister for first time

A Singapore court has sentenced ex-minister S Iswaran to 12 months for accepting over $300,000 in gifts - an event which marks the first jail time for a former cabinet member in Singapore's history

A Singapore court on Thursday sentenced former minister S Iswaran to 12 months in prison after he was found guilty of obstructing justice and accepting over $300,000 in gifts. Iswaran’s imprisonment marks the first instance of a former cabinet member being jailed in the country, which prides itself on being one of the least corrupt nations.

Iswaran, 62, was initially charged with 35 offences but later the court proceeded with only five. The disgraced former minister, who held trade, communications, and transport portfolios for 13 years, pleaded guilty to four counts. The court has allowed him to remain on bail for a few days, with his jail term starting on Monday.

The case has shocked many in Singapore, which ranked among the five least corrupt nations last year, according to Transparency International's corruption perception index.

'Iswaran took costly tickets, rode on private jet'

Before Iswaran’s sentencing, another Singaporean minister was involved in a corruption case in 1986 but died before any charges were filed in court. While in office, Iswaran accepted costly gifts, including tickets to English Premier League football matches, the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, London musicals, and a ride on a private jet.

Iswaran resigned as transport minister after less than three years when he was first charged in January. Initially, he claimed innocence and expressed his intention to fight the charges. However, he later pleaded guilty to five counts, two of which were initially corruption-related but were changed to charges of receiving gifts.

Iswaran, who joined the cabinet in 2006, was arrested in July last year. His charges included receiving kickbacks from property tycoon Ong Beng Seng and businessman Lum Kok Seng. Iswaran served as an adviser to the Grand Prix steering committee, while Ong held the rights to the race.