Singapore convicts Indian-origin ex-minister of lesser amended charges

Singapore: Singapore’s High Court in a corruption case on Tuesday convicted Indian-origin former transport minister S Iswaran of lesser amended charges.

The prosecution sought a jail term of six to seven months for the 62-year-old former minister who pleaded guilty on the first day of trial after saying for months that he would contest the case to clear his name.

Iswaran admitted to four charges under Section 165 of the Penal Code, which forbids all public servants from obtaining any valuable thing from someone involved with them in an official capacity, and one charge of obstruction of justice.

Another 30 charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing, reported Channel News Asia.

After the charges were read to him, Iswaran was asked how he pleaded.

"Your Honour, I plead guilty," he said to the court presided by Justice Vincent Hoong.

Iswaran's charges relate to his interactions with property tycoon Ong Beng Seng and construction firm boss Lum Kok Seng. Both businessmen have not been charged.

The valuables involved in all the charges include tickets to theatre shows, football matches and the Singapore F1 Grand Prix, whisky, international flights and a hotel stay.

The amount involved is more than SGD 400,000 (over USD 300,000).

This was Singapore's first ministerial corruption trial in nearly half a century.

In a twist at the start of the trial, media said prosecutors will now proceed with only five charges against Iswaran, a former senior politician in the long-ruling People's Action Party.

The last Cabinet minister charged with graft was Wee Toon Boon, who was found guilty in 1975 and jailed for accepting gifts in exchange for helping a businessperson.

Another Cabinet minister was investigated for graft in 1986 but died before charges were filed.

His trial comes just over four months after Singapore installed new Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, succeeding Lee Hsien Loong, who stepped down after 20 years at the helm.