A former Singaporean minister, S. Iswaran, was sentenced to 12 months for obstruction of justice and accepting illegal gifts.
Iswaran, who previously served as Singapore's transport minister and played a crucial role in bringing Formula One to the nation, faced 35 charges, mostly related to corruption.
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This week, Iswaran was handed a harsher sentence than the six to seven months recommended by the prosecution. High Court Justice Vincent Hoong stated that such a sentence would be “manifestly inadequate” considering the public trust at stake.
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Hoong emphasized that trust in public institutions is the foundation of good governance, which can be quickly eroded by officials failing to meet integrity standards.
Convicted last week of obstruction of justice and receiving illegal gifts, Iswaran’s case proceeded on five lesser charges, some involving a billionaire property tycoon. According to local reports, his defense team has requested that his sentence begin on October 7.
Iswaran resigned from his ministerial post in January after he was charged with accepting gifts valued at over $300,000. He expressed his intent to clear his name in court in his resignation letter.
He has since returned around $295,000 in financial gains, and authorities also seized items such as a Brompton bicycle. Among the charges is an attempt to prevent Singaporean officials from investigating a business-class flight funded by Malaysian hotel tycoon Ong Beng Seng.
Other charges against Iswaran involve accepting gifts like whiskey and golf clubs from Ong and a prominent construction company director, Lum Kok Seng. While Iswaran has been sentenced, Ong and Lum have not faced legal action.
The Attorney-General's office has indicated it will soon decide on Ong's case, though Lum was not mentioned.
This trial, considered one of Singapore's most politically significant, comes ahead of general elections expected by November next year and threatens the standing of the ruling People’s Action Party.
