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Singapore’s former transport minister has pleaded guilty to charges of obtaining gifts as a public servant and obstruction of justice, in a rare bribery case in the city-state that prides itself on transparency and clean governance.
S Iswaran, who as transport minister was instrumental in bringing the Formula 1 Grand Prix to Singapore, had initially denied any wrongdoing and vowed to clear his name after facing 35 charges this year.
But in an unexpected move, prosecutors went with just five charges at the start of the trial on Tuesday, and Iswaran pleaded guilty to all of them.
The indictment includes four counts of obtaining valuables and one count of obstruction of justice. The remaining 30 charges will be taken into consideration for sentencing, prosecutors said.
Iswaran, 62, is accused of receiving gifts worth a total of S$403,297.92 (US$312,494.20) from two local businessmen during his tenure as minister.
Prosecutors have asked for a prison sentence of six to seven months. According to Singaporean media Channel News Asia and the Straits Times, Iswaran’s lawyers are asking for no more than eight weeks.
According to local media, the sentence has been set for October 3.
The corruption case against Iswaran is the first involving a Singaporean minister since 1986. Singapore prides itself on being one of the least corrupt countries in the world, and its ministers are among the highest paid – earning around S$1 million a year – partly to discourage corruption. .
The case comes at a sensitive time for the ruling People’s Action party, which has ruled Singapore since independence in 1965.
Lawrence Wong was sworn in as Singapore’s fourth prime minister in May, becoming only the city-state’s second leader outside the founding Lee family.
The Asian financial hub is expected to hold elections in 2025, and while the PAP is expected to win again, its reputation has been battered by a recent series of scandals, including the corruption allegations against Iswaran.
Iswaran resigned this year after authorities charged him. He has said he will repay his salary and allowances he has received since the investigation began in July last year.
According to a January indictment seen by the Financial Times, the kickbacks allegedly included tickets to English Premier League football matches, Formula 1 races and plays, including Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Hamilton And Kinky bootsas well as a business class flight from Doha to Singapore in 2022.
Singapore’s Attorney-General’s Chambers said in a statement that the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau had seized items including wine, whisky, golf clubs and a Brompton T Line bicycle during its investigation. It added that Iswaran had forfeited S$380,305.95 to the government to account for the value of gifts, including event tickets and alcohol.
The CPIB has said Iswaran received part of the alleged bribes from Ong Beng Seng, one of the city-state’s most high-profile real estate tycoons, for “advancing (his) business interests”.
Ong has not been charged. He is the founder of Hotel Properties, which has brands such as Four Seasons and InterContinental in its real estate portfolio.
The company has previously said Ong provided details of his dealings with Iswaran to the watchdog.