Singapore's Indian-origin ex-minister faces charges for alleged corruption

Singapore's Indian-origin former Transport Minister S Iswaran on Monday was slapped with eight fresh charges in the alleged case of corruption taking the total charges that he now faces to 35.

Iswaran, 61, pleaded not guilty to the new charges. The development comes barely a week after he returned to Singapore from a court-approved trip to Australia, which was extended due to his illness.

The eight new charges are under Section 165 of the Penal Code and include allegations that he obtained valuable things, including bottles of whisky, golf clubs and a Brompton bicycle from a man called Lum Kok Seng, reported Channel News Asia.

The Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) said in a separate statement on Monday that the items have a total value of SGD 18,956.94 ($14,080).

The transactions occurred when Iswaran's official function as then-Transport Minister dealt with the business Lum had with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) through his company Lum Chang Building Contractors.

The new charges allege that Iswaran obtained the valuable gifts from Lum between November 2021 and November 2022, when Lum was concerned with the performance of the T315 contract for addition and alteration works to the existing Tanah Merah (Mass Rapid Transport) Station and existing viaducts between Lum Chang Building Contractors and LTA.

Iswaran was first handed 27 charges in January, comprising two of corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act, one of obstructing justice, and 24 of obtaining valuables as a public servant under the Penal Code.

He pleaded not guilty to all charges, which related to his interactions with property tycoon Ong Beng Seng, who owns the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix and is chairman of race promoter Singapore GP.